Battle for the Baby
by nuttier-than-an-almond
Summary: SEQUAL TO: TEST TUBE BABY. Dan has Sam and Danny's unborn son. Danny needs to get to her before the nine months are up and The baby ends up in evil hands. And what lengths will he go to do it? And will Dan come to grips with who he is? DannyxSam DanxCW
1. The Beginning of the Search

_**WARNING!**_** THIS IS A **_**SEQUAL**_**! YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND IF YOU DO NOT READ THE FIRST PART FIRST! YOU **_**WILL **_**GET LOST! READ "****Test Tube Baby****" TO CATCH UP!**

**I promised and so I deliver! Here is the second part to the family drama. Haha!**

**Now the Fenton/Technus family embarks on **_**THE BATTLE FOR THE BABY**__**!**_** Dum dum DUUUUMMM!**

The Ghost Zone.

Infinate and terrifying. Millions of doors that go to the far reaches of the world and even other realms. Dark passages that the horribly lost would be trappped in forever.

At least, anyone who wasn't with the Fentons.

"It's so creepy here," Maddie stated, leaning foreward to look out the windshield of the Specter Speeder.

"Welcome to the Ghost Zone..." Tucker said blandly as he drove.

Everyone was taking shifts behind the wheel so everyone had a chance to rest. It was the second day of searching for Sam and so far no one had found anything. The most that had been accomplished was Maddie winning a game of Go Fish against the boys and Technus bugging Walker to recite Clint Eastwood quotes. The warden refused but with his accent it still sounded cool. It kept Technus entertained at least.

They had camped out on a large flat rock overnight so everyone could rest properly. They all took turns playing the lookout but things were quiet. No sign of anything. Tucker activated the portable ghost shielf that had been installed in the Speeder just as a precaution. Maddie made sandwhiches for them all and they ate at their own pace. Weree it under any other circumstances it would have been a nice camping trip. But these weren't happy times in the least.

Danny kept to himself most of the time. He just wanted to find Dan, beat him, and get back Sam. That was the plan and before now it seemed like it would be easy. But once it turned into the second day and they still had no clue where they were going...

Let's just say, thing's weren't looking too good at this point.

"Anything on the scanner yet?" Danny asked, breaking the silence.

"Not even a blip, " Tuck anwered, "You think Dan managed to block her from our scanners some how?"

"I don't think he would know how," Technus stated dryly.

Danny sighed and looked out the window.

'Sam, where are you?' He asked himself.

"Maybe we could ask that young couple for help!" Maddie suddenly said, pointing ahead of them.

Danny sat up and looked in the direction she was pointing. A few yards ahead there was Johnny 13 and Kitty. Johnny was lounging against his motorcycle and Kitty was standing beside him as they talked. They looked calm enough and didn't seem to be having a fight right now.

Tucker carefully pulled up beside the two ghosts and Danny flipped open the door so he could speak to them. They looked his way with equally confused expressions.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Kitty asked, crossing her arms, "Shouldn't you be hanging out with your girlfriend?"

"Fiance actually..." Danny corrected her, "And that's why we're here. Sam's missing."

Johnny and Kitty exchanged glances before turning to give Danny their full attention.

"Missing? As in kidnapped, or just lost?" Johnny asked.

"A bit of both," Danny sighed, "We can't even track her on our real world item scanner,"

"I need to get me one of those when this is over," Walker said from from behind Danny, making technus laugh shrilly.

Johnny furrowed his brow to look around Danny, "How many people you got in there? Oh, hey Technus and Walker... Wait..." He paused to look at the two ghots and back to Danny, "I know Walker's your boss but why are you hanging out with Technus? I thought you two hated eachother."

Good to know word hadn't spread too much.

"You didn't hear?" Kitty stepped up beside her boyfriend, "When that weird new ghost attacked Danny a month ago Technus saved his life! Again!"

Danny groaned, 'Of _course _word got to her..'

"Yes, he saved my life, twice." Danny agreed, "But that isn't the point. We need to know if you guys have seen Sam and the ghost that took her."

"Sorry, little man, I haven't seen anything," Johnny apologized with a shrug, "If you want I could send Shadow out to look for clues."

Danny smiled, "Thanks, Johnny."

KItty sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, "I guess I can ask the girls to keep their eyes open."

Danny smiled gratefully at her as Johnny 13 summoned up his bad luck shadow. He told him to go look for sam and with a quick nod Shadow flew away. Danny watched it go hopefully.

Johnny cleared his throat making Danny turn back to face him.

"In all seriousness, man," He started quietly., "What's really up with you and Technus?"

Danny looked blankly at the blonde ghost for a long moment in silence. Knowing the truth was inevitable he sighed.

"He's my father..."

Johnny's eyes widened and Kitty's mouth fell open.

"He's your.. what?" The ghost girl asked.

"Technus is your old man?" Johnny asked, clearly confused, "But I thought that Jack guy was-"

"Yeah so did I for a long time," Danny interupted, "It's a really long story. A story I'll be glad to tell you if I make it through this whole thing."

"_When _you make it through this." His mom corrected him from behind him.

Danny turned around and gave her a sheepish smile, "Right."

"Well, I hope you find her, kiddo," Johnny told him as he climbed on his bike. KItty climbed on behind him and slid her arms around his waist.

The two took off with a roar of the motor cycle's engine.

Danny leanedout of the Speeder and called after them, "I told you to wear a helmet!"

The halfa laughed and closed the door after recieving a one fingered salute from the biker. He shook his head and turned back to face the others.

"You told him Technus was your dad?" Tucker asked, his eyes wide.

Danny shrugged, "I don't see why it matters if anyone knows anymore. And it's Johnny 13. He's a known misfit. Who would trust him if he went around telling people?"

Technus gave a proud smile up at him. The pride only a father can show.

Danny exhaled as he climbed back into his seat, brushing his white hair out of his face. He rubbed his right knee tiredly, massaging the injury. He'd started using his ice powers on it when it started to hurt to numb it. It served as a temporary pain killer.

"So, where to now?" Walker asked looking over a map of the Ghost Zone.

"Well, they weren't anywhere near the pplace they were sighted," Maddie stated thoughtfully, "We've covered all the areas adjacent to it but still nothing..."

"Thanks for telling us what we know, Mom," Danny said curtly, "I think we just need to start asking every ghost we come across to keep theri eyes open."

"The good ghosts," Tucker corrected him as he started to drive away again, "A lot of ghosts in here hate us."

Danny nodded in agreement, "Right... Ask for clues, but steer clear of the bad guys.."

"Easier said than done, kid," Walker stated, moving to lean over the back of the seat. He reached over Danny to show him a place on the map, "Where we are righht now is inhabited with Ghosts who hate your guts."

Danny frowned, "Of course it is,"

"So we rely on luck," Maddie said sternly, "These ghosts can't stop us! We're Fentons."

Danny chuckled, "Two of us are Fentons at least."

Danny's mom smiled at him, "And that's one more than we need."

"Isn't that cute..." Dan spat as he watched the scne unfold on the viewing screens.

Clockwork floated beside him cooly, "Are you jealous?"

Dan huffed and rolled his red eyes, "I don't know where you get the idea that I would ever want to be him. I was the most powerful ghost on the planet in my world! Why would I give up my place on top to be... That!"

The master of time turned to face him with a knowing smile, "Maybe because you envy his life. Because you hate the fact that he got the second chance and you didn't."

Dan looked over at Clockwork with a piercing glare. How dare he!

Yes, Dan was upset and really pissed off that he got the short end of the stick when it came to second chances. He frequently wondered why it wasn't him and why he was forced to continue suffering because of it while Danny's life prospered. But that didn't mean he wanted to trade places with the little brat!

Danny was weak. He let his love for others and his high and mighty attitude get in his way and keep him from doing what he had to do. Sometimes you had to kill to survive and Danny Phantom didn't have what it takes. Dan remembered being like that once but when it was him who was on the verge of being eliminated he retaliated and learned to do what was nessessary. If his human self had gotten his way Dan would probably be ectoplasmic waste now.

That incedent made Dan strong enough to know that being the masaya came with a price. And it was a price he was not willing to pay. If other people or ghosts wanted to play hero then they were more than welcome to try their hand at it. But they would all end up the same.

A greasy stain on the bottom of Dan's boot.

"Dan are you still in there?"

Dan blinked as he came out of his thoughts. He turned and his eyes met another crimson pair. Dan found himself staring for a moment, some how entranced by them. it wasn't till he noticed this that he shook his head and shifted his gaze away.

"I'm fine." He said quietly.

Clockwork sighed and shook his head, "Sometimes I don't understand you..."

Dan turned back to face him, "But I thought you knew everything."

"Knowing something and understanding it are two differnt things." Clockwork stated wisely, "That's something you probably have some experience in, I'm sure."

"What do you mean?" Dan asked, his brow lowered.

"You know what you are but you fail to understand why you're like this." Clcokwork started, "You know you are angry but you don't fully understand why. You place blame but I can tell from the conflict in your eyes that it's not fullfilling."

Dan stared at the master of time in silence. He was intrigued.

"You know you hate Danny, but you don't understand why." Clockwork added sharply, "You will find that there are plenty of things about yourself that you do not understand."

"For example?" Dan asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Your sexual orientationn for starters," The violet cloaked ghost pointed out with an amused smirk, "You know what you are but you don't fully comprehend it. You can't wrap your mind around it. And you probably won't untill you actually begin to feel an attracion for another being."

"A man you mean," Dan gagged.

"Your words not mine," Clockwork said smoothly, "I am only saying that maybe before you judge things, or decide on something, you try and understand it."

"Then I guess I don't know you at all," Dan suggested through narrow eyes, "Because I don't understand you one bit."

Clockwork gave a half shrug, "Perhaps. But then, you've never really tried."

The master of time drifted away leaving Dan confused there. Dan only blinked and slowly uncrossed his arms.

What was Clockwork implying?

"Aaaaaw. That's so cute!"

Dan rounded on hearing the sarcastic outburst. He glared at his captive angrilly. After her frist day she had gotten brave enough to speak out of turn.

"What are you talking about, Sam?" Dan asked, trudging over to her.

The goth was lounging against the wall with her legs crossed and her hands folded comfortably over her stomache. She looked very relaxed for a prisoner. Dan didn't very much like that but he needed to keep her comfortable and healthy if he wanted that kid to be born properly.

Sam smiled up at him, "You two. You're adorable together."

Dan repressed the urge to vomit, "Excuse me?..."

"You heard me," She told him, "And, with the vibes he's giving off, I think he's very subtley hitting on you."

Dan clenched his fists, "You're out of your mind!"

"Am I? You knew me back in the day," Sam pointed out, "I always had exceptional Gaydar."

Dan couldn't argue with that. She was the one that figured out that Mr. Lancer was Gay... As if it wasn't _totally _obvious.

"But, Clockwork? _Really_?" Dan asked with a shake of his head, "I think your gaydar needs a tune up."

"He could be bi. I mean, he gets all kinds of free porn from here, from both teams." Sam chuckled, "I'm just saying that it's a possibility."

Dan shuddered at the thought. Him and Clockwork? Eeew!

Not to say that Clockwork was an unnatractive male ghost. HIs middle aged form was actually kind of... handsom in a way..

Dan mentally slapped himself. No! Bad Dan! No thinking about that!

"Ask him if you don't believe me," Sam said, "What reason would he have to lie to you?"

Dan sneered at her in disgust, "You're sick." He pushed off of the floor and perched himself on his rafter in the cieling. He laid down, curled into himself.

"She's out of her mind,"


	2. A New Lead

**I don't own Danny Phantom but I do own a can of Dr. Pepper and boy is it tasty!**

Danny slammed his foot on the gass peddle of the Speeder. The vechichle was sipping through the ghost Zone faster than it should have been but thatr wasn't the main worry right now was it?

Vortex was fast on their heels, very clearly still upset with danny. After the disasteroid incident the observants never locked him back up so he was free and out for revenge.

What was it with ghosts and revenge? What? When you die do people suddenly lose the ability to _get over it_?

"Can't this tub go any faster?" Walker asked, phasing back through the wall of the vehichle to take a breather.

"I'm trying!" Danny shouted though his panic."Mom! Look back and tell me how Technus is doing!"

Danny's mom turned on the reear camera. Technus was flying behind them, blasting at the storm ghost with mighty electrical attacks. Unfortunately that had little effect on Vortex. He just seemed to absorb it.

"I COULD USE SOME HELP OUT HERE!" Technus yelled back to them.

"I'm comin' , I'm comin'," Walker groaned flying back out of the Speeder.

The warden joined Technus and blasted at the massive green ghost. Walker's attacks seemed to do a bit more. Vortex flinched back at the attack and lashed out, swatting Technus like a gnat. The master of technology shouted from pain and surprise and he flew back. He turned intangible just before hitting the speeder, phasing through it to land on his back in the cockpit.

"I don't think this is working..." Technus groaned dizzily.

"Danny, why don't you go out there and deal with this?" Tucker asked, "I'll take the wheel."

Danny frowned, not wanting to go out himself. He was not in the mood. With a growl he unbuckled and stood, allowing Tuck to take his place. The halfa walked past his father and left the speeder swiftly.

Vortex grinned when he saw Danny.

"There you are, ghost boy!" He laughed wickedly.

"Welcome to the fray," Walker said with a surprisingly calm demeaner.

Vortex launched bolts of lightening at them, missing the two by mere inches.

Danny glared up at him, teethslightly bared, "You picked a really bad time to mess with me, Vortex!"

The storm ghost cackled loudly, "Ooh I'm so scared!"

Danny ground his teeth together harshly. He didn't have time for this! Walker continued to fire relentlesly, in an attempt to keep the much more powerful ghost away from the Specter Speeder. At the smae time they were also trying to not get left behind. As it turns out, flying backwards at full speed while fighting is NOT easy to do.

Vortex placed his hands together. As he slowly pulled them apart a large ball of snow formed in his grip. He brought his arms over his head, as far back as they could go, and threw them foreward with a powerful swing. The ball of ice soared at Danny with great force.

Danny blasted ahead of hi, slicing the ball down the middle, the halves splitting apart from one another and missing the speeder.

Vortex growled and looked him over, "That's a nice new leg you've got there. Maybe you should get another to match!"

He lurched foreward to grab at Danny but the teen dipped out of the way. Danny extended his right leg and brouhgt it around hard and fast. He stuck Vortex in the jaw with a resounding crack.

Danny smirked as the attacker cried out in pain and gripped his face. Vortex fell back a bit, allowing Walker to stop blasting for a moment.

"You dare strike ME?" Vortex wheezed out, "I shall make you pay!"

Danny frowned, "I would love to see you try."

Vortex pushed his hands outword sending hurricane force winds at them and the Speeder. Danny braced himself and motioned for Walker to get behind him. The warden did, but with confusion.

Danny inhaled deeply as he could. With a mighty breath he unleashed his ghost wail against the assault. The two forces met in the middle and stuck eachother in a flash of light and sound. It was like exploding thunder. Danny forced the wail out with all of his power. Vortex gaped at the streangth and was working hard to keep the wind coming.

With one final push Danny pushed out a wail and practically creamed at the top of his lungs while doing it. The soundwaves broke through the wind as if it weren't even there and rushed the storm ghost without warning. Vortex was thrown back, spinning and flipping through the air of the Ghost Zone. He was smashed against a large stone and redered uncontious.

Danny ceased his attack, breathing heavily. He switched back to his human form againsst his will and slumped weakly. He looked back when Walker put an arm around his back to support him. The prison warden took him into the speeder and set him down against the wall.

"Why didn't you just do that in the first place?" Tucker asked, with a smile, "Dude, if you did that in everyfight, you would never lose."

Danny panted weakly, "Thanks, Tuck... In the meantime we;re way off track and have no idea where we are."

"Apparently we're somewhere near..."Maddie pulled up the map in fron tof her face so she could read it.

"We're near the prison," Walker stated quickly, "I know this area of the ghost Zone like the back of my hand."

"Great. So we got no where," Technus groaned, finally getting off of the ground.

Danny sat up suddenly, a brilliant idea popping into his head, "The prison! That's it!"

"What's it?" Maddie asked raising a brow.

Danny stood and walked up behind Tucker, "Tuck, take us to jail."

The darker skinned teen looked back at Danny in sheer confusion, "Uh... If you say so, dude."

"Kid, I'm all for going to the prison," Walker started, "But isn't that a little out of the way?"

Danny smiled out the windshield with narrow eyes, "There's a ghost in there who might just be able to help us."

Inside the prison Danny led hsi group swiftly down the blocks of cells. They followed close behind him, Tucker and Maddie glancing nervously at the inmates. Tucker had encountered most of them in Danny's battles and Maddie had never seen so many evil looking ghosts grouped together before. Yeah, she'd been there for the disasteroid thing but that's when everyone was working together. All of these ghosts looked homicidal.

Danny led them to a high security cell and stopped just outside of the bars. He crossed his arms over his chest when the ghost inside didn't notice him. He was sitting, slouched over, on his cot, his eyes down cast and his clothing in shambles. He looked worn and tired.

"Wake up, Plasmius," Danny said loudly, "We need to talk to you."

Red eyes looked up at the group. Vlad stood slowly, his cot squeaking as he did so.

"Hello, Daniel. I'm surprised to see you." He said quietly, "And I'm surprised to see the new posse you've aquired. Long time no see, Maddie."

The woman glared at him and crossed her arms, "Vlad."

Vlad smirked, flashing his white fangs before looking back to Danny, "That's a nice look for you, Daniel. Taken to capes like your old man I see. Though, the mechanical body parts work best on Technus."

Danny looked back at Technus who didn't seem to mind the comment. The younger Halfa turned back to Vlad.

"I need to ask you some questions." Danny said curtly.

"And you better answer them," Walker threatened, making Vlad flinch away from his powerful voice. From what Danny could tell, Prison wasn't a pleasent experience for Vlad so far. No one was particularly fond of the guy after the "make me ruler" thing.

"Anything you say, Warden," Vlad surrendered, "What do you need to know, Dear boy?"

Danny stepped up to the bars and looked the evil Halfa in the eyes. He took a deep breath and spoke quickly.

"In an alternate version of the future, where my family died and I went to stay with you, you removed my ghost half. In a rage my ghost half removed yours and fused with it creating the most evil ghost in the world. He took over the world and setroyed everything he could get his hands on. Then, the observants told Clockwork, the master of time, to destroy me and prevent the future. And he tried, setting up the senario that would cause the explosion to kill my family. I ended up going to Clockwork's lair where he tried to kill me in person but me Sam and Tucker escaped into the future and met my future evil self. He tried to kill Sam and Tucker but they removed their time medalions, these necklace things that keep you rooted in a time period, and escaped. He tied me up and threw me into the ghost zone with the medallion fused inside me while he went back in time to cheet on the CAT and solidify his future. That's where I met all of the ghost's who's life he ruined. Ember, Box Ghost, Johnny 13, Kitty and Skulktech 9.9 - that's a whole other story. I beat them and got a note from Jazz telling me to find you in the future and find a way back to my time. I convinced you use the ghost gauntlets to pull the medallion out of me so I could go back and beat him before it was too late. Ultimately I beat him and Clockwork managed to save my family as the explosive Nasty Sauce blew up. He was trapped in the fenton thermos for over 3 years until he eventually broke out and came back for revenge. He attacked me on my eighteenth birthday, calling himself 'Dan', and ended up severing my leg and putting me in a coma for 3 months. A little while after I woke up I got Sam pregnant and some how he found out. Dan kidnapped Sam and now he's holding her hostage some where in the ghost zone. I need you to tell me where you would hide if it were you because I know he didn't get his smarts from _my _ghost half."

Vlad blinked at him, clearly dumbfounded by everything he'd been told. Everyone else there was just as confused and they all looked like they were mentally trying to make sense of it.

"You got the goth girl _Pregnant_?" Vlad finally asked after a moment.

Danny slapped his forehead and groaned, "Yes... But that isn't the point!"

"I'm impressed, Daniel. I was sure you played for my end of the ball field." Vlad laughed.

Maddie cringed beside Danny, "Excuse me?"

Vlad shrugged, "Being in prison helped me learned a few things about myself. One of those being I am certainly not attracted to women. And looking back it should have been obvious."

"You're GAY?" Tucker asked loudly.

Vlad actually didn't look at all offended by the question, "Yes."

Danny shuddered at the thought of his ghost half merging with that. That was a little too much information for him to know.

"Look, Vlad, I don't care about your preferences," Danny choked on the words, "I just need to know that where you would hide a hostage if you didn't want some one to find them."

The elder halfa hummed and leaned his arms on the bars casually, "Hmmm... Well I would hide her in a place where you couldn't track her and isn't easy to find."

"Good thing there aren't many hard to find places in the Ghost Zone," Technus said sarcastically.

"Since this person is part of myself, I would try places where powerful ghosts would usually be. Like the Ghost King's castle for example." Vlad suggested, "That's where I would be if I were the most powerful/evil ghost on the planet."

Danny nodded, "Then we'll look there."

"Be sure to visit again soon," Vlad said with a sly grin, "Don't be a stranger."

Danny shivered and backed away from the cell, "Don't count on it, fruitloop."

Walker struck the metal bars hard, making Vlad yelp and jump back in fear. The group left quickly, not wanting to spend anymore time in this place than they had to. Walker did a quick check that everything was alright in the prison with Bullet before they all got back in the speeder.

"That was officially weird," Maddie said with a slight eye twitch.

"You're telling me..." Danny mumbled as he got behind the controls of the Specter Speeder, "I just found out my alternative future self is potentially gay!"

"Well, he didn't look to effected by Sam when he saw her for the first time after ten years," Tucker pointed out, "If he took after you he would have been thrilled to see her."

Technus pulled Tucker's baret off of his head and shoved it in the boys mouth to shut him up.

"You should stop talking now," The master of technology told him flatly.

"Weirdness aside, at least we have a clue where to look now," Walker said tiredly, "At least we can stop flying in circles."

Danny nodded, "Right. To Pariah's Keep then."

And with that the team set off once again to their new destination... In awkward silence.

**I apologize to the readers for the REALLY long paragrapth of dialogue Danny had. But keep in mind, Vlad didn't know any of the stuff in The Ultimate Enemy happened. So it had to be explained from the top.**


	3. The Keep

**This chapter introduces a new character into the mix. Don't hate him too quickly. He's important to the story line. **

The lair of the Ghost King was dark and caverness. It reaked of mold and stale air. It was as if the very air was as old as the building. The whole place felt dead and empty.

That made sence because it was.

Danny cautiously stepped out of the speeder, after it sucessfully phased through the stone walls. The gentle glow he gave off lit the area of the room around him. He could see dust on every surface. Maddie armed her self with an ecto-foamer as she followed her son out.

The throne room was bare and empty.

"Wow... This place doesn't look like it's been touched in years..." Tucker stated rfom the security of the Speeder.

"You're right," Danny said, running his finger through the tick layer of dust on the floor. He examined it with narrow eyes before dusting his fingers off and standing again. He frowned and looked around them, "No one's been here for years."

"Maybe they didn't come into the throne room?" Maddie offered, pulling up the hood of her suit, "I say we explore and search every room till we find them."

Danny sighed and shook his head a bit, "We can't go rushing into this, mom."

"But it doesn't mean she's not right," Walker agreed, hopping from the speeder, "I say we break off into teams and search this place... Quietly."

Maddie slouched and pouted, "Fine..."

Danny smirked, "Sorry, Mom, but you'll have to hold in that gungho attitude for a little while."

"If it's all the same to you guys, I'd like to stay here." Tucker said meakly, "I don't have a black belt or powers to protect me."

"Alright, sweety, just call me if you see or hear anything," Maddie told him, pulling out a handful of Fenton Phones. She handed out one to everybody, "Here. Put these on. Call if you find something."

Technus and Danny nodded and put the headphones on. Walker was still working on grabbing it. It didn't occur to Danny that everything danny used ws considered real world contraband. The warden was bound to his rule book and was having issues with using the radio device.

"I'll go with walker and we can call through mine," Danny said, stepping over beside his boss. He smiled up at the ghost.

Walker relaxed and let out a silent sigh, "Thank god... That was painful."

Maddie shrugged it off and put her Fenton Phone in her ear. She tapped it an Technus and Danny both flinched as their respective head phones squeeled.

"They work!" Technus said as he grabbed her arm and forced it down, "Let's just go."

The teams of two split off on their seperate ways. Technus and Maddie went down a hallway to the left and Danny and Walker searched the room they were already in then would move on to look through a door to their right.

Danny walked quietly up the steps to where Pariah Dark slept. He carefully avoided the pumpkin that the Fright Knight's sword was in. At least that was still there. Dan hadn't let him out and resumed command over him.

As Danny walked up the steps, dust clouded around his feet. No one had been here since the Ghost King's defeat. And why would anyone bother to come here that wasn't totally out of their mind?

"Be careful, boy," Walker told him from the bottom of the stairs, "This place gives me the creeps..."

"I will be," Danny told him as he got to the top of the climb.

The sarcohphogus of Forever Sleep stood there, huge and intimidating. Danny eyed it, looking for any traces of where Dan could have tampered with it. Danny circled it carefully, scanning it with his eyes. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary...

"I don't get it!" Danny exclaimed, growing frustrated, "Why wouldn't Dan repeat what he did in his own world? I thought for sure he'd break Pariah out so he could beat him and take his place!"

"Maybe that's just it..." Walker said, "He knows that's what you would think he'd do..."

Danny sighed and started back down the stairs. The sounds of his boot and the metal of his right foot echoed off of the high ceiling and trialed off. It was an eerie and creepy place for sure.

Danny rejoined walker at the bottom of the stairs and walked with him to the large door on the near wall. there was a lock on it and Danny used a low powered blast to break it as quietly as possible.

With great caution they heaved it open and peaked through. This place looked even more untouched than the throne room. There were stacks of books and old rolled up papers gathering dust and cobwebs all over the place in there. It must have been a library or record room of some sort. It was a large and long room but it didn't appear to haev any other way out than the single door.

"No one here. Let's get out of this place," Walker said uncomfortably.

Danny was ready to agree when A shadow moving in the room caught his eye. He thought his eyes were fooling him at first but he saw it again. The teen halfa inched the door a little further open, allowing a bit more light in.

"What are you-"

"Shh!" Danny put a finger to his lips before silently signaling for the warden to follow him.

Walker nodded and watched Danny's back as they entered. He reached in his jacket and pulled out when looked like an oldfashioned revolver. Danny had never seen Walker use the weapon before but it seemed like something the boy expected him to have. Walker held the gun win front of him, arms bent and the gun at eye level, ready to fire should something pop up.

Danny walked foreward as quietly as he could. It was hard to be stealthy though with a metal leg and a green glow he couldn't figure out how to control. He snuck foreward, watching the far corner where he'd seen... whatever it was he saw.

The two approached and Danny readied an attack for anything that might be hiding there. There appeared to be a nook in that back corner that must have been for study. The person or thing must have snuck back into it to keep out of view.

Trying to catch it off guard Danny turned quickly around the corner, glowing hand outward. He was answered by papers flying out of what looked like no where at him.

"What the-" Danny swore underhis breath as he swated the paper down.

Walker pointed his gun at the area but no one was there. Danny glared around them for whoever had thrown the papers but saw no one. There were no windows for wind to come in through so some one purposely did it.

The two straightened up when a childlike laughter filled their ears. They turned around full circle in an attempt to see the, what only could have been a ghost that was in there.

"Who's out there?" Danny called, raising his hand to light the room around them.

The only response was his own voice bouncing off of the walls.

"This place is _really _giving me the creeps." Walker said, rewording his earlier phrase.

Danny glanced around them, shifting his feet silently on the stone floor.

'I know you're out there...' He thought, 'So where-"

Just then a blue blast flew over their heads, missing Walker's hat by less than an inch. It hit the wall, causing sparks to fly and making Danny cover his face to protect it. The teen whipped around and gasped slightly when a caped figure was spotted at the other end of the room.

There wasn't much Danny could see other than a shadowy outline. But Danny could see that it was a boy, shorter than him, with hair reaching his shoulders and a long flowing cape. Purple by the look of it.

"Who are you?" Danny called out.

There was no answer. The figure simply summoned up more energy and unleashed it on them. It missed like the last one, hittingt he floor at their feet.

"I don't think he want's to talk." Walker suggested, jumping back to avoid getting hit. He raised his gun to eye level quickly and pulled back the hammar.

"Wait!" Danny told him, pushing his arm down.

The halfa looked up and saw that the boy was gone. In the instant that he'd looked away and back he had dissapered. Telepoprtation? Or was he just that fast?

No sooner had Danny finished the thought, the door began to close and light began to leave the room.

"Shit!" Walker swore, making a dash toward it, Danny on his heels.

The two reached the door before it closed and pushed against it. To Danny's surprise they were barely able to keep it open. This ghost was strong enough to hold back a door against them? How was that possible for a ghost that small?

"Who is this guy?" walker grunted as he tried to shove the door back open.

"I don't know, but I don't think he's on our side!" Danny answered, pushing agaisnt the door with all of his weight. Slowly, the two were managing to shove it back against their assailant. But pain was slowly starting to creep up Danny's right leg making it hard to keep his footing.

Walker looked over his shoulder for a moment then did a double take, catching Danny's teen looked back and gasped at what he saw. The door shut completly in theri distraction, leaving them shut in the room.

Where the blasts had hit there were symbols engraved on the wall and floor. On the floor there was an arrow pointing back toward the wall. Danny looked up to see a large cog shaped glow on the wall. They couldn't have noticed it before because there was too much light in the room.

"What the hell?" Walker asked, barely above a whisper.

"I have no idea... what could that possibly mean?" Danny couldn't find anyreason for that ghost to trap them in a record room and taunt them, only to show them a picture.

The two ghosts exchanged glances before looking back at the door. Surprisingly, this time it opened with ease.

They stepped out, looking around for the ghost. They saw nothing. Tucker was standing in the door way of the Specter Speeder, gaping at them with very wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Did you see where that ghost went?" Danny asked, calling across the room to his friend.

Tucker nodded slowly, petrified.

"Well? Where'd he go?" Walker asked, irritation in his voice.

Tucker raised an arm and pointed above them. The two ghosts looked up and saw the figure floating above them.

Danny stared in disbelief. He was... A kid! A kid dressed in a black suit with silver clasps with deep purple gloves and boots with a matching purple cape that flowed around him. His skin was light blue and his hair was golden and wavy. He looked down at them with an amused smile, arms crossed, feet slightly parted in a very confident pose. HIs red eyes twinkled mischieviously down at them.

Walker stepped out from under him and pointed the revolver up threateningly, "You better start talking, punk!"

The kid only looked more amused by this. It was like he didn't see them as threatening at all. It almost looked like he didn't even want to fight. So far he was just toying with them. But what would be the point to that unless he wanted something?

"No? Fine. You had your chance," Walker pulled back the trigger of the gun and a shockingly large blast of energy exploded from it.

The shot flew at the child. The boy's eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting such a small gun to do _that_. He flew up above the shot just before it hit the wall behind him. But it didn't have to hit him to get the point across.

Danny stared at Walker with a furrowed brow, "What was _that_?"

The warden tilted the barrel up and blew away smoke from it smoothly and smirked cockily over at Danny, "I call it the Widow Maker. I almsot never get a chance to use it."

Danny made a mental note to never let himself get on the business end of that thing...

The halfa turned his eyes back to the boy who was now floating higher above them.

"You don't play nice." He said, a smirk growing on his lips once again,"We'll have to do this another time, I guess."

"Wait!" Danny called after him as the oddly dressed ghost boy flew up and through a whole in the ceiling.

Just like that he was gone. Danny placed his finger to the Fenton Phone in his ear and called the others.

"Guys, get back to the Speeder." He told them.

"Why?" Technus asked.

"Did you find something?" Maddie questioned him.

"No," Danny replied, "Some one found us."


	4. Eyes

**Thanks for the kind reviews. I'm surprised at how many people have told me, over the coarse of the first story and this one so far, how they aren't into stories like this but like mine. I'm shocked. I honestly don't know what to say besides thank you. ^^ I have the best readers ever! Thank you everyone for your reviews and thanks if you haven't ever reviewed. :D I appreciate you just reading.**

* * *

><p>"For the last time, Sam," Dan growled, "He isn't gay!"<p>

Dan was getting very tired of the teenage girl's assumptions and accusations. Every chance she could she spoke up about his sexuality. Even when Clockwork was actually around she said these things. It was humiliating to Dan and he didn't know how much more he could take before he actually slapped her.

Even now, in the kitchen, she wouldn't leave him alone about it! Dan just wished she would put food in her mouth so she would stop talking.

"I dunno, Dan," Sam said as she poured a bowl of cereal, "He's lived alone litterally forever. I'm sure he'll take what he can get."

The former halfa groaned and fell into his seat across the table from her. He ran his fingers through his flaming hair with a long breath.

Why was having a hostage so frustrating? He could barely sleep because she kept him up all night asking about his 'man crushes'. He told her he didn't have any but she didn't buy it. To be honest, Dan had always thought that that Nocturne ghost, whom he had never really interacted with*, was pretty attractive for a male ghost.

"Having a bad morning, Dan?"

The mentioned ghost looked up as Clockwork floated past him.

"What gave it away?"Dan asked sarcasticly, watching him go by.

The master of time chuckled quietly before moving to a cabinet and opening it. He shifted through the contents of it before bringing out a bag of flour and some other baking supplies. Dan couldnt really read the lables in the dim candle light. Leave it to Clockwork to not have lightbulbs.

"Hungry?" He asked, looking back at Dan.

The latter shrugged, "I guess... You cook?"

"Well I have to most of the time if I choose to eat. There's no one else here to do it most of the time," Clockwork stated as he opened the bag of flour and poured some into a large bowl.

Dan stood and went to the fridge. He reached inside it and pulled out the eggs and milk that was inside. Ghosts didn't eat often but when they did their food was pretty weird. Everything gave off a sort of green glow and never seemed to go bad. Dan walked back to Clockwork and put the food on the counter top beside him. The ghost of time glanced at him with a smile before turning back to what he was doing.

"It's unlike you to be helpful," Clockwork pointed out as he opened the carton for the eggs and grabbed one.

"Yeah, well..." Dan trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.

The action had been so absent minded he wasn't sure why he'd done it. Dan chose to not bother trying to finish the sentence and just looked through the cabinets for nothing in particular.

He glared over his shoulder when Sam giggled behind him.

"And it begins..." Dan mumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"So, Clockwork," Sam started smuggly, "If Vlad was with a man, which position-"

"Shut it!" Dan spat over his shoulder, his eyes wide and shocked that she would even consider asking that!

"Top." Clockwork said making Dan's face redden.

Why did he have to answer? And why did he have to sound happy when he said it? It was like he didn't even care than dan was in the room! It was almsot as if Clockwork was enjoying this, and possibly encouraging it!

Sam burst into hysterical laughter. Dan groaned and leaned on the counter with his face in his hands. It was taking every bit of will power he had to not throttle her. But it was oh so tempting. Dan jumped when a hand landed on his back and he lifted his eyes to see Clockwork smiling and patting his shoulder lightly.

"I'm sorry," Clockwork told him, a small laugh escaping his lips, "Are you sure you can do this for nine months?"

Dan sighed and shook his head slowly, "I may end up killing her..."

Clockwork pulled back his hand and turned back to whatever it was he was preparing.

"What are you making anyway?" Dan asked looking from the bowl to the ghost beside him.

"Pancakes. Is that okay?" Clockwork looked over at him for a second before cracking an egg into the bowl.

Dan shrugged dully, "Whatever."

"Aaaaaaw,"

"Shut up."

Dan glared at Sam as he walked back to the table. He pulled his chair out, turning it away from her, and sat down. He bent his left leg to rest his foot on top of his right knee. He glared at the wall, trying to look less embarassed than he actually felt.

He glanced beside him when he heard a soft sizzling. Clockwork had poured the quickly made batter into a heated skillet. Dan almost asked himself how he got it ready so fast then he remembered who Clockwork was.

It was strange for sure. For possibly the most powerful ghost in the universe, Clcokwork was pretty humble. He never boasted about his power unless it was prevoked. He never acted like he was better than anyone and even lowered himself to the standard of working for those weekling observants. Dan had slapped a few of them around in his time and they were nothing to be impressed about.

Dan allowed his eyes to roam over the body of the ghost in front of him. He wasn't sure why but a calm fell over him. There was just something about the way the candle light shined in Clockwork's red eyes that entranced him. Dan smiled to himself as the master of time shifted to his youngest form. There was something adorable about Clcokwork in this form.

Dan blinked and looked away. What was he doing? Clockwork tried to stop him from existing. He couldn't possibly be feeling anything for him!... Could he?

"Here you go," Clockwork turned around and placed a plate in front of Dan with 2 steaming pancakes on it.

Dan didn't say anything he just turned hsi seat back to face the table.

"Dan? Are you alright?" Clockwork asked with a frown.

Surprisingly Sam had nothing to add. The girl actually sucked down the last of the milk in her bowl and left the table quickly to go back to her place in her corner. Dan had gone out and stoeln some horror novels to keep her quiet.

The once halfa sighed and ran his hand through his hair tiredly. What was wrong with him?

"Dan?"

The ghost in question looked up to see Clockwork seated across from him with a concerned look.

"I can see the future, but I can't read your mind," Clcokwork told him with a frown.

Dan sighed and sllowed his shoulders to fall slightly, "It's nothing..."

He glanced up to see Clockwork staring intently at him. He was clearly not satisfied with that answer. He shifted to his elderly form an dback to his younger, middle aged self before Dan broke his gaze away.

"I guess all the things you told me and everything Sam's been saying is starting to get to me..." Dan said lowly. He straightened up and took on a serious expression, refusing to look weak, "But that doesn't mean I'm going soft."

"I didn't think it did," Clockwork said gently. The master of time sighed and raised one hand to move it over the table. He reached over and placed his palm over the top of Dan's clenched fist and patted the gloved surface with his fingers, "It is alright to show weakness, Dan. You just have to know the rihght way of dealing with it."

Dan looked from Clockwork to their hands, his eyes slightly widened. He didn't know if he should stay still or jerk his hand away. Was Sam right? Was Clcokwork hitting on him?

He was slightly happy when Clockwork pulled his hand back. He cleared his throat awkwardly before reaching for the fork on his plate.

The two began to eat in silence. They'd exchange clanes every now and then but never at the same time.

"Summer's coming up," Clockwork stated offhandedly.

"And?" Dan asked, rolling his eyes up to look at the ghost across from him.

"Have you seen the seasons change in the Ghost Zone?" Clockwork asked him with a hinting tone.

"I've never cared enough to bother watching..."Dan replied narrowing his eyes slightly, "Why?"

Clockwork set his fork down and crossed his hands on the table, "I was thinking that on that day the three of us could attend the festivities. I normaly go since I am the master of time and all that. But I never have anyone to take with me."

Dan frowned, "Is it going to be awkward?"

"Probably," Clcokwork admitted, "You don't have to go. It's just over a week away and I figure that by then you will need a break."

"And going out in public is good for me how? I have people looking for me." Dan said roughly, "Don't you think taking the hostage to a... whatever it is... is a bad idea? What if Danny shows up?"

"If he does I doubt he will be looking for you," Clockwork noted, "Of all places he would look for you that would be the last place."

Dan leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest, "I dunno..."

How was he supposed to respond to that? He didn't know what he was getting in to and frankly he wasn't sure he wanted to get into it with Clockwork.

"What exactly happens?" Dan asked curiously.

Clockwork smiled, "It's the summer soltice so all the ghosts that play parts in the human world set off to change the season. Vortex brings the summer rains and Undergrowth creates the new plants of the summer. Several other ghosts set out after them, spreading their own unique talents to help. On their way through the ghost Zone the ghosts put on a spectacular show for the onlookers. It's hard to describe exactly what happens. It only lasts for a few hours then everything goes back to the way it was before in the Ghost Zone."

"Wow... Sounds... fun..." Dan said, unconvinced.

"It's better than it sounds." The ghost of time laughed, "So, are you coming with me or am I going alone again?"

Dan looked up, his eyes meeting with the eyes he kept getting lost in...

He dind't know how it happened but he suddenly said, "Okay.."

"Great!" Clockwork smiled broadly and rose from his seat, grabbing his suddenly empty plate.

The ghost floated away, leaving Dan there, blinking and wondering what just happened.

Sam peaked around the corner of the room with a grin plastered on her face.

"Ooh, Some one's got a date!" She said immaturely.

Dan groaned, "Why are you bothering me?"

"I'm being held agaisnt my will in a boring old tower- No offence. Clockwork."

"None taken." The time ghost said, now in the other room.

"I have to get my kicks some how." The girl said with a smirk, "And this is a great way to do it."

Dan growled, "You're lucky I need you alive."

"Yes. Yes I am," Sam smiled before walking away again, "Dan and Clockwork sitting in a tree. K-I-S-"

POW!

The girl was struck in the back of the head by a very low energy ecto blast and fell onto her makeshift bed with a solid thump.

Dan smirked and lowered his raised index finger, "But that doesn't mean I need you awake."

He rose from the table and walked from the table, leaving his dirty plate there. He strode casually over to Sam and looked down at her with a smile. He pushed on her side with the toe of his boot, rolling her over so her face wasn't in the pillow. There was a forming bruise on her forehead that made Dan laugh.

'Serves you right,' He thought cruely.

"Sleep tight, Sammykins," Dan laughed as he walked away from the knocked out teen, whistling cheerfully to Rock-a-bye-baby.

**I think it's clear that Dan isn't all there in his head. And if he is he's really confused. **

***remember people, Dan was before Danny fought Nocturne. So it only makes sence that Dan only barely knows who the guy is. In the tens years he was terrorizing the ghost zone and human world he must have at least heard of him. But there was, most likely, no battle.**


	5. Lanterns

"So, uh... The Widow Maker, huh?" Danny said almost nervously as Walker cleaned his revolver.

"Yup. " Walker answered as he looked down the barrel of the gun to examin the inside, "She's a great scare tactic for hard to break ghosts. I would have used her on you when you were in my prison, but the trigger was jammed."

Danny swallowed and sunk down in the seat, "Comforting..."

"How does it work?" Maddie asked, having traded spots with Technus so he could sit in the much softer seat for a while and she took his spot on the floor.

"It's your basic ecto-gun." Walker said holding it up for her to see, "But I channel my own power through it to give it a little extra boost. I had a gun like this when I was alive so I fashioned myself this baby after I died."

"Impressive..." Maddie said with a smile, "we may have to exchange blueprints after this is all over."

Danny rolled his eyes and shook his head. Typical Mom.

"So, anyone got any ideas who that kid was that attacked you two?" Tucker asked from the passanger seat. Danny was driving now so he was reclined with hiss feet propped up on the dash and playing a video game on his PDA.

"Not a clue..." Danny told him, "But I think that picture he made on the wall was some kind of symbol."

"It was a gear. What kind of symbol is that?" Walker asked with an annoyed huff, "It was just another crack pot ghost that wanted to mess with us. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a relative of that Youngblood brat."

"Nah, he was annoying but not nearly dorky enough to be related to youngblood," Danny said, only half joking, "But maybe you're right. He was probably just messing with us."

"Then how did he get inside that room?" Tucker asked, furrowing his brow, "It was locked from the outside remember? Ghosts can't walk through walls in the Ghost Zone."

"Some one might have locked him in there," Technus suggested, "Maybe the solitude is what made him loopy."

Danny hummed thoughtfully, "Maybe... But right now we need to find the next possible place Dan could have hidden Sam."

"Maybe he's hiding in a cave somewhere," Maddie said with a shrugg, "He obviously knows we're looking for him."

Danny sighed, "Then we'll have to check every door until we find him."

"Every door?" Technus asked with high eyebrows, "Do you know how long that will take?"

"That could take us like 70 years, dude!" Tucker exclaimed, "We don't have that kind of time!"

"And we don't have any other option!" Danny snapped back, "Sam's life could be in jeapordy. Who knows what he's done to her so far."

"Considering he's after the baby, I don't think he'd do anything to her," Danny's mom said, "A baby's life is delicate and needs to be taken care of even when it's inside the mother. If he wants that baby alive he needs to keep Sam healthy and alive."

That made Danny relax a bit. At least Dan wouldn't kill sam. Not without a very good reason to at least.

"So... Where do we start?" Danny asked aloud, looking around them.

"What's that?" Tucker suddenly asked, hopping up to look out one of the sidewindows.

Every one turned to see a trail of floating paper lanterns in the distance. Each with a single candle inside. Danny had never seen this before and was amazed by the sight. It was beautifull... And it seamed to streatch to the horizon.

"The summer solstice." Walker said, putting his gun away in his jacket, "It's a week away and everyone's already getting ready."

"Summer what?" Danny asked, looking at the warden.

"It's when the season changes from spring to summer." Walker explained, "The ghosts with power over the human world set off to bring the summer to the parts of the world it reaches and winter to the opposite side of the world. It's when all the baby animals that were born in the spring grow up and the summer rains start to come in. Spring might be in there somewhere but I dunno."

"It sounds incredible," Maddie sighed, watching the lanterns bob in mid air.

"It is." Technus told her, "Maybe you'll get to see it. It effects the ghost zone for a few hours and hundreds of ghosts gather just to see it happen. It's magnificent."

"I never thought I'd hear you describe anything but technology like that," Tucker joked playfully.

"Well, it is," Walker agreed, "It may not be as big of a deal as the christmas truce, but it's still pretty amazing. Even Nocturne get's in on the act. He goes to work putting the animals in the winter half of the world into hybernation."

Danny steered the speeder toward the trail of lanterns and apporached slowly. He wanted to get a better look at them. As they got closer Danny could make out the painted designs on the sides of the paper lanterns. They looked like silouettes of the ghosts who would bring about the change in season. They were in mid flight and followed by much smaller ghosts painted in a light green.

"Wow. They're lovely." Maddie sighed, "I didn't think ghosts were capable of something like this.."

"Well, if you think about it, technically we're all soul." Technus said with a smirk.

Maddie smiled sheepishly at him before looking back out into the glow of the lanterns.

"You think we'll be able to find Sam before the solstice?" Tucker asked with a mellow tone.

Danny sighed with a slump of his shoulders, "I hope so... She's love to see this."

"So where are we going now?" Technus asked, hopping over the back of the seat to sit by Danny. He began to mess with the controls in a seemingly random order making Danny nervous. "Maybe this will help us."

He placed his fingers over the real world item detector for green energy was transfered from his hand to the device. The device whirred to life and the lights lit up and the scanner activated.

"What are you doing?" Danny's mom asked, looking over his shoulder.

"That's what I was going to ask," Danny said with a half frown.

"I modified your scanner." Technus told him as he puleld his hand away fromt he machine, "Now it will tell us if a ghost with a high power level gets anywhere near us. That way we won't have a repeat of what happened with Vortex.."

"And if we get close to Dan we'll klnow where he is before he knows where we are," Tucker added with a grin, "I don't know why I didn't think to modify the scanners before!"

"Because you're still an amatuer at this, kid," Technus said confidently, "I am the master of all technology. It's my business to know and think of these things."

Tuck looked a bit offended at the statement but it didn't appear to get to him too much because he went right back to his game.

Danny sighed and turned back to look out the windshield. He dorve side by side with the lanters as they continued along.

'I just hope Sam know's we're looking for her...'

Fwap!

Dan threw the bundle of pink cloth he had in his hand down at the teenage girl, hitting her in her sleeping face. She screamed from surprise and being suddenly woken up. She ripped the offending fabric away from her face and sat up to glare at Dan. But it was short lived because she winced in pain and her hand went to her head. This amused Dan.

"Ooow... What hit me?"

"First me, then the floor," Dan answered with a smirk, "That will teach you to run your mouth."

Sam groaned and rubbed the bruised spot on her forehead gingerly, "It hurts!"

"Duh! It's a bruise!" Dan retorted, "Never mind that though. Get dressed."

"Dressed?" The goth looked down at the item in her grip and grimaced when she held it up to look at it.

Dan held in his hysterical laughter. Her reaction was just what he had expected when she saw the dress he'd gotten. And since there were no other clothes here she would be forced to wear it if she wanted to be covered.

The dress was a happy shade of light pink and would probably hang at about her knees. He had thin straps to go over the shoulders and a lighter pink sash that went just under the bust of it to tie in a bow in the back.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Sam groaned, "I am so not wearing this!"

Dan laughed, "Oh yes you are. Because soon you'll grow out of the clothes your in and will have no other choice."

"Not for another several weeks!" Sam retorted, "My clothes are fine!"

"You smell like a locker room," Clockwork pointed out casually as he floated by.

"Thank you," Dan said with a smile before turning back to grin evilly at Sam, "Well, you better change. We have a busy day ahead of us."

As he started to turn and walk away Sam asked, "Busy day? What kind of busy day?"

"Well, we can't very well have you get sick can we?" Dan asked her rhetorically, "We're getting you some things to make sure you're healthy when that kid is born."

He walked away, giving the goth some privacey to change. She pulled the curtain Clockwork had hung around her "room" closed and preceded to get changed.

Dan waited on the viewing platform, watching visions from the past present and future. He learned some interesting facts about former presidents as he did so. Not that he really cared about any of it.

"I'm... ready..."

Dan looked over and bit his lowe lip in an attempt to not laugh.

"Pfff! Don't you look... adorable! AHAHAHA!" Dan cracked up at the sight in front of him.

Sam was wearing the dress alright and she looked like cotton candy! She still wore her combat boots and goth make up, clashing with the pink of the dress.

"Why pink?" She asked, glaring daggers at him.

Dan calmed himself to a light chuckle before speaking, "Because no one will recognise you in pink. Not even your parents."

"We're going to Amity Park?" Sam asked, cocking her head.

"No, but I doubt that no one is looking for you in the real world. I'm sure your face is all over the news by now."

"Which is why the two of you are going to wear these," Clockwork suddenly appeared beside them, with two time medalions in his hands, "These are modified to hide you from detection. Even visual detection."

"We'll be invisible?" Sam asked, taking the one offered to her.

"No. It will just scramble the light around you, giving off the image of a completly differnt person in your place," The master of time explained, "And since they shield you from even my own vision I am going with you."

Dan groaned, "Oh, wonderful..."

The former Halfa took his medalion and put it around his neck. He looked down at himself and saw that his hands shifted from their normal gloved look to a tanned white skin tone. His jumpsuit had turned into black pants and boots with a black muscle t-shirt. He couldn't see his own hair to see if that had changed but when he reached up to touch it it felt flatter.

He looked up at his eyes widened slightly seeing Sam with longer black hair, tied up in a pink scrunchie with red and pink make up on her face.

"I hate this," Sam admitted bluntly. She looked Dan up and down quickly and smirked slyly,"Although you turned out pretty hot."

Dan smirked and crossed his now mostly bare arms over his chest, "I've always been hot, honey."

Sam snorted, "Yeah, and you're not gay at all... Honey."

Dan rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

He looked over to Clockwork to see him standing beside him. Actually standing! He had legs! Clcokwork was wearing purple pants the same as his robe with darker purple boots with watches strapped around them, each giving a different time. Dan watched as the master of time reached up with his gloved hands to pull back the hood of his cloak. It revealed short wavy white hair that was pulled back across his head smoothly. Dan couldn't help but stare. He'd always thought Clockwork had been bald!

"You aren't going to change how you look?" Sam asked, raising a now thin brow.

The master of time nodded, reaching up to the clasp of his robe and touching the gear that held it. It glowed for a moment and his body changed to the body of a young man, probably in his late twenties, with blonde hair and pale skin. He was wearing a purple sweater over blue jeans with black shoes. and of course he wore a watch.

"Shall we go then?" Clockwork asked, motioning to the circular portal behind him.

"That isn't the way I planned to go out but it works." Dan said with a shrug. He grabbed Sam by the arm and dragged hr with him as they stepped through the viewing mirror.

Dan looked around, finding them now in osme city in what could have been California. Clockwork grabbed his shirt sleeve as he walked away, pulling dan and Sam behind him. Dan complied, knowing that Clockwork wouldn't get them lost.

Unfortunately, Clockwork had planned on shopping for some one other than Sam that day.

**Shopping adventure ahead! xD**


	6. Shirt Shopping

**SLASH AHEAD! And more teasing from Sam! You have been warned lol**

Dan was towed through the streets by force. He kept asking Clockwork where they wewre going but the man/ghost in disguise just ignored him. Dan gripped Sam's arm as they went through the bustling people and arrived at their destination.

"You brought us to a mall." Sam stated curtly.

"Yes. And we have some extra stops once we get inside," Clockwork said, looking back to flash a smile.

"What kinds of extra stops?" Dan asked raising a brow.

As he pulled Dan through the automatic doors Clockwork stopped to turn and look at him.

"Well we can't exacly let you dress in your normal suit for the festival can we?" He asked with narrow and greatly amused eyes., "You'll stand out like a sore thumb."

"Oh, no. We are not getting anything here for me." Dan said, pulling his arm free, "My clothes are fine!"

"Mmm-hm," Sam agreed looking him up and down, "Very fine."

"Shut up, Sam," Dan sighed.

Clockwork laughed and put his hand on the back of Dan's shoulder to push him foreward.

"It won't be so bad... You might even like it." He told the taller ghost with a smirk, his shoulders squeezing his shoulder lightly.

Dan wasn't a lot taller but now that Clockwork had to stand on the ground like every one else, rather than floating, Dan had to look down to make eye contact with him.

The three walked into a store, unnoticed by anyone. It was strange for Dan that no one was staring at him. He had grown used to the looks of shock and terror. Being ignored was a new feeling for him. Any one who had known him would have been laughing hysterically at him searching through clothing racks with a teenage girl.

The first thing they had to get her was maternety wear. Elestic waisbands and baggy shirts. At least that was Dan's definition. But he was not a woman. Their definition of a "top" was different than a man's.

Dan walked to one of the arm chairs, dubbed the Man Chair by most guys. It was where men sat while they waited for who ever they were with to get done shopping. Dan was gay but that didn't mean he wanted to watch a girl pick out clothes. Clockwork, who was apprently going to pay for all of this some how, stayed with her. Dan just planned on taking the things they needed. Clockwork was too much of a goodie goodie for that.

Dan was reading a Guns and Ammo magazine when a pair of hands on his shoulders caused him to look up. He saw Clockwork leaning over him with a smile. Their faces were very close and Dan could actually see the light pink scar under Clockwork's left eye that matched the black one from his normal ghost form. Dan looked from the scar to his eyes and saw a deep hazel in the place of the red.

This form was so much differnt from the one Dan was used to seeing. And to be honest, he liked Clockwork's ghost form better. This one was too feminin. He was pretty though. In a strange way.

"You coming or am I picking out your clothes without you?"

Dan snapped out of his slight trance when the master of time spoke, "Uh, yeah..."

He tossed the magazine back ontot he table he'd found it on and stood. Clockwork gabbed the crook of his arm and pulled him along toward the men's section. Dan looked around for his hostage but didn't see her. He managed to spot her already in the men's section. She was looking through a rack of jackets of assorted colors.

Clockwork released him and walked over to Sam. She smiled at him and said somehting Dan couldn't hear and handed over some garments she had already picked out. Dan was almost afraid to see what they were.

The disguised time ghost walked back to Dan with a smile and told him to follow. They walked around a corner and found the changing rooms.

"Here. Try these on." Clockwork told him, forcing the stack of clothing into Dan's hands, "If they're too small I'll bring you something in the next size up."

Dan sighed and nodded, "Fine... Anything to get out of here..."

Dan walked back into the changing roooms and found one that was empty. He walked in and close the wooden door securly behind him. He hung up the shirts Sam had picked out and began to look through them.

They weren't that bad. Some T-shirts with designs on them of skulls and assorted animals. Some where more dressy shirts that had collars and buttoned up the front. None of those in Black though. Just a blue and a white.

Dan stripped his muscle shirt off and pulled one of the shirts off of the hanger. He unbuttoned the front and slipped his arms through the holes. It was a light fabric but not the kind Dan was used to. Dan pulled it over his shoulders and began to button it. It felt tight around his muscular arms but he wasn't sure if it was supposed to or not. From what he'd observed from men on the way into the store, the one size too small look was in right now.

"You alright in there?" Clockwork asked, his feet barefly visable under the door.

"You tell me," Dan said, knowing Clockwork only asked because there were humans around. What Dan wondered was why, if Clockwork knew everything, why even bother having Dan try on the shirts? He could just tell him if they would fit.

"Open the door," Clcokwork told him with a light knock.

Dan groaned and did so, allowing the oter ghost in. Dan stepped away from him. There was barely enough room for the two of them. Clockwork's body was less muscular than Dan's but it took up just as much space.

Clockwork shut the door and stepped back to look Dan over. He reached out and tugged the shoulders of the shirt with a hum. He grabbed the bottom hem of the garment and pulled it down, seeing how much give it had. He preceded to experiment on the shirt, making Dan lift his arms to see if he had constricted movement. Dan could move just fine.

It wasn't until Clockwork stepped closer and put his hands on Dan's hips, tumbs slightly under the waistline of his pants, that the taller male backed away.

"Whoa! Back off, Clocky!" Dan stammered, holding up a hand between the two of him, "That is an off limits area."

"I was trying to tuck the shirt in," Clockwork stated with half lidded eyes, "Trust me, if I wanted to feel you up, I wouldn't have gone for your hips."

Dan's face reddened at the words. Couldn't he have said anything else? Dan was really starting to reconsider his opinion of Clockwork's sexuality.

The younger of the men swallowed as Clockwork walked up to him again. He grasped the bottom of Dan's shirt and began to push it into the waistline of Dan's black pants. The latter could feel the warmth in his face at the contact. This was making him very uncomfortable. He openly flinched when he felt Clockwork's bare fingers on his lower back. His hand insticually came up to grip the other's shoulder to push him away.

The master of time moved his eyes up to meet with Dan's. His hands stilled, one still in the middle of Dan's back, half inside his pants, the other on his right hip.

"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly.

"This isn't u-uncomfortable to you?" Dan asked, a slight nervous shake in his voice. Anyone other than clokcwork wouldn't have noticed it.

"Very few things make me uncomfortable," Clockwork stated calmly, his hands unmoving.

Dan swallowed again, "Do you think you can move your hand now?"

Clockwork smirked slightly and slid his handout of the waistline slowly, dragging his fingernails over Dan's skin. Dan bit back a receptive noise. He wasn't sure what it would have been but it would have been embarassing.

"You embarass easily for the most evil ghost on the planet," Clockwork noted.

Dan made no attempt to respond. He just looked away and glared at the wall.

"The shirt's fine." Clcokwork told him as he turned to leave, "Try on the others and we'll go. We have other stores to visit."

As he started to open the door Dan reached out and grasped his wrist. Clcokwork turned back around with a slight frown. Dan blinked at him silently.

Why had he done that?

"Yes?" Clockwork turned back to face him.

Dan let him go, "I, uh... Nothing... Nevermind..."

He looked at the floor but his gaze was forced back up by fingers under his chin. His eyes were met by hazel ones that seemed to sparkle up at him. They weren't as magnificent as their usual red but every bit as hynotizing.

Dan's own eyes went wide when pale lips pressed chastely against his own. Dan's whole body seemed to go numb on contact. He couldn't tell if all his blood was leaving his face or filling it.

But it felt... good.

But before Dan could return the gesture Clockwork steped back, breaking the bizarr kiss.

The only thing Dan could think at the moment was 'Holy shit Clockwork's IS gay! I'M gay!'

The master of time blinked up at him, obviously waiting for some kind of verbal response. But what was Dan supposed to say? Thanks?

"Uhhhh..."

Eloquent, Dan. Very nice.

Clockwork smiled up at him with narrow eyes, "Feel better now?"

As a matter of fact, he did. A weight seemed to be lifted from Dan's shoulders. Was it because he finally accepted the truth about his sexuality? Or was it something bigger than that.

"Yeah... I guess..." Dan started slowly, still allowing the situation to sink in, "But... Why did you do that?"

The master of time shrugged one shoulder, "Why not?"

Dan stared at him, partly out of shock but mostly out of sheer confusion. Dan couldn't possibly have been Clockwork's type. Then again... Who was Dan to turn down such a pretty ghost?

Dan reached out a grabbed the other male by the hips and pulled him back toward him. Clcokwork let out an undignified yelp as he was brought against Dan's body.

"Dan!" Clcokwork looked up at him, "What are you doing?"

"What?" Dan asked with a smirk, "Didn't see this coming?"

"I can't see anything you'll do while you're like this," Clockwork explained, "I told you, the medallion you're wearing guards you from my vision as well."

Dan's smirk only grew wider, "Really?"

"Dan, stop it," Clockwork warned him, "I may look human but I still have all of my powers."

Dan chuckled, "I'm not doing anything wrong. And you started it."

Clcokwork was about to spek when Dan kissed him again. The master of time squeeked slightly as he was pulled tightly against the larger man. He dug his fingers into Dan's shirt roughly.

Dan lightened the kiss to get Clockwork to relax. He did, and began to kiss back slowly.

After ten years of not being touched this was bliss for Dan.

Clockwork's grip on the shirt loosened, his fingers resting gently on Dan's chest. A very quiet moan escaped his throat making Dan smirk against his lips parted for a moment then rejoined at a new angle. Clockwork was completely submitted to the contact and even moved his hands up to rest on the sides of dan's face.

Dan pulled back suddenly, getting a confused blink.

"What do you say we hurry up here and finish this back home?" Dan offered quietly.

The master of time smirked, "Hm... Maybe.. If you're good."

Dan laughed, "Like that will happen."

"I KNEW IT!"

Dan and Clockwork both snapped their heads up and turned to face the door. Sam was standing there with a triumphant grin plastered on her face. The door had been left partially open from when Clockwork attempted to leave.

"I told you, Dan!" The she frowned with disgust, "If you do 'continue this back home', knock me out first so I don't hear or see it."

Clockwork laughed, "Don't worry, Samantha. I have my limits."

Dan rolled his eyes. Of course that's what Sam thought they were going to do... Dan was enjoying the kiss but he wasn't prepared to go THAT far!

Clockwork pulled Dan's hands off of him and began to leave the changing room.

"Finish trying those on. BUt keep that one," He told Dan, "It looks good on you,"

Dan laughed, "It's not the only thing."

"EEW!" Sam groaned. Clockwork only shook his head as he walked away. He probably knew Dan was only kidding.

"Aw, What's wrong, Sam? Don't like karma?" Dan asked, finally getting to mess with her for once.

"I like karma, not evil ghost dirty talk!" Sam spat at him before turning on her heal to walk away.

Dan smiled to himself as he shut the door. He sighed and leaned on it, his body finally relaxed.

"I love shopping..."

**I've posted a picture on my deviantart for the story. It's a depiction of the "That's off limits" part of the changing room scene ;)**


	7. Aaron Leon

It had been a week since they had started looking for Sam and Danny was still no closer to finding and beating Dan. It was infuriating. But with the lot he was with it was manditory that he keep a level head. It seemed some times like he was the only one who could keep himself on track.

"We should make a pit stop," Maddie Fenton spoke up suddenly.

There was a prime example.

"Why?" Danny asked with half lidded eyes.

"We've been looking for Sam nonstop for a week. Our supplies are running low and we all need to freshen up."

"I second that," Tucker agreed, "I'm getting a funk,"

Danny sighed loudly and turned the speeder around, "Fine! We'll go back to the house then!"

"Mine is closer," Technus told him, reaching over Danny's shoulder to turn the wheel in a new direction.

Danny huffed as they drove away, "We're never going to find her..."

"We will, Danny," Maddie told him, "We just need to regroup and think of a new plan."

Danny looked back at his group. His mom was right. They had to stop. Every one was tired and needed a break from being in the speeder. Tensions were growing high and so were the smells. Walker and Technus didn't really notice or make any odor because they were ghosts. Being dead gave them that advantage. They had probably smelled their share of rancid things before so human body odor didn't effect them at all. Walker had even fallen alseep on the floor.

"You know..."

Danny'd head snapped up too attention and looked around. Who was talking? He turned around and gasped at the glass dome in front of him.

"You guys aren't very perseptive..."

It was the ghost boy from before. He was laying on the Specter Speeder!

"Get lost kid this isn't a play ground!" Danny warned him, "You've caused us enough trouble already."

Danny had gotten seriously ticked off about thier last encounter. That kid had wasted time he could have spent looking for Sam. Now he was back to waste more.

The blue skinned ghost smiled at him playfuly, "Didn't figure out the symbol, huh?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "No..."

"This is the kid who was bothering you?" Maddie asked, narrowing her eyes, "Well, he doesn't look dangerous at all..."

"Well... He didn't exactly attack us..." Danny mumbled, glaring at the boy lounging on the windshield.

Walker stirred with a groan, "What's going on now?"

"Your friend is back," Tucker stated bluntly.

Walker sat up quickly and glared at the child, "You got some guts coming to find us, Punk!"

"You're not that hard to find," The kid said with a straight face, "You leave a vapor trail a mile wide behind this thing," He knocked on the vehichle to prove his point.

"What do you want?" Danny asked with a now very deep frown.

The blonde boy smiled, "Nothing really. Just wondering if you're going to the festival in a few days?"

"And if we are?" Walker drawled.

The boy pushed off of the windshield casualy, not answeringt he question. He straightened out to float in fron tof them in a standing position.

"Name's Aaron. Aaron Leon." He told them.

Danny huffed, "We don't care what your name is! Why did you try and trap us in the castle and why are you here now?"

Aaron reached behind him, under his cape and pulled out what looked like crinkled paper. He held it up and sent a small spark of energy through it. It lit up and expanded into one of the paper lanterns from the festival trail.

"You better not have stolen that!" Walker warned him.

"I don't have many powers..." The boy mused, ignoring Walkers threat, "But I can do this much."

Danny glared at him, "You made it light up. Big deal."

"Fine. Be angry." Aaron told him, "Then I won't help you."

"Help us?" Tucker asked, "You attacked them in the ghost King's castle! You call that helping?"

Maddie reached foreward and pressed a button on the control panel. The top of the speeder slid open and an ecto grenade launcher rose from it. It took aim on the young ghost making him float backward a bit.

"You have three seconds, ghost," Maddie warned him, "Or you'll be ectoplasmic goo."

Aaron's eyes grew wide then he glared at them, "So it's like that then... Fine."

"3..." MAddie began to count down, "2..."

The boy began to charge up some energy in his hands.

"1."

"Look out!"

Danny jerked the controls as the ghost unleashed the energy on them. It merely bounced off of the side of the Speeder and disapated into the Ghost Zone.

"Oh, come on!" Aaron whined, glaring at his hands, "Work for once!"

Danny went intangible and flew through the side of the vehichle to face off with the boy.

"What's the matter? Need new batteries?" Danny taunted, clenching his fists, "You made a big mistake attacking us."

"Huh? I wasn't- AH!"

Danny fired his own attack, tired of wasting time. The much younger male ducked, the attack singing the tips of his long blond hair.

Aaron looked back at the smoking hair and glared back at Danny, "Not cool, man! I just got my hair how I like it!"

Danny smirked, "It will look a lot worse soon."

The kid jumped out of the way as Danny kicked at him. He continued to do so as the halfa lashed out.

"Why don't you fight like a man?" Danny asked as he fired once more.

The kid stopped momentarily after dodging again, "I'm only twelve!"

Danny charged the preteen agressively, grabbing him by the waste adn slamming them both into a rock. The boy cried out in pain and his hands were pinned by Danny. Danny was not going to out up with some ghost kid with two first names.

"Talk! _Now_!" Danny demanded loudly, "Why are you following us?"

Aaron said nothing. He glared at Danny and tried to pull his arms free.

"Well?" Danny asked with dangerously narrow eyes.

The captured boy smiled slyly up at him, "Wouldn't you like to know..."

He suddenly opened his mouth and a high pitched sound burst from it. It was like some one holding up a microphone to a speaker.

What ever it was only lasted for a second but it was enough to cause Danny to back away and cover his ears. The kid phased backwards though the rock he was against and came out of it on the top.

"What was THAT?" Danny asked looking up to glare once more at him.

"I don't exactly know.. My dad calls it a chirp... Or my Ghostly Dog Whistle." Aaron explain, kneeling on the stone, "I can't do much but that's the most effective out of the things I can."

"So you're just a normal, average ghost? Then why bother attacking me?" Danny questioned him.

Aaron sighed, "Believe it or not, I'm not trying to hurt you or your friends."

He reached out and grabbed the floating lantern that had been previously been released to float aimlessly. He pushed it back toward Danny causing the halfa to catch it.

"That's for you... Maybe you'll find some help at the festival." aaron told him seriously.

"You expect me to trust you?" Daniel askedwith a frown, "Why should I?"

"You don't have to trust me, you just have to do what I say!" Aaron said rolling his eyes, "You really bring out the best and worst in people sometimes..."

Danny cocked his head, "What's that supposed to mean?"

The kid looked down at him with a smile, "Nothing. See you at the festival."

He pushed off of the rock and flew away quickly. Danny glared at him as he left.

'Yeah, like I'm stupid enough to take advice from a twelve year old.' Danny though.

He looked down at the lantern in his hand. It was exactly like the other lanterns they had seen before. But somehting about this one was different. The ghosts were all painted black. All except one.

The only ghost not painted glowed brighter because of that. Danny could make out a trail of tentacles behind him as he flew across the paper. He, at least it looked like it could have been a he, was thin and on his head were two curved horns that pointed down towards his shoulders.

Danny squinted at it in confusion. Was this another one of those 'clues'? Was that kid really trying to tell him something?

Looking closer at it Danny gasped in recognition.

"No way! _HE'S _the help we're supposed to find?"

"What is it Danny?" Maddie asked from the Specter Speeder as she pulled up beside him.

Danny entered through the door that Walker opened for him. He touched down and held up the lantern for Tucker to see. He turned the lit figure to where his friend could see it.

"Look familiar to you?"

The techno-geek squited at it for a moment then his eyes went wide.

"_Nocturne_?"

=**DP**=

Dan groaned as he was rolled over agsint his will. Absently, he swatted the hands on his shouders away and pulled the blanket covering him up to his face.

"Five more minutes..." He mumbled, burying his face in his pillow

"Alright... Time's up."

Dan huffed and opened his red eyes to look back at the figure looming over him.

"I meant five regular minutes. Not five sped up minutes," Dan told his cloked companion tiredly, "Whadda ya want Clockwork?"

The master of time smiled, "You've been a sleep for hours..."

Dan yawned and sat up, "That's kind of the point of sleeping."

He scratched his head tirely and grabbed Clockwork's arm to check the time. It was about mid day in the real world. Not a bad night's sleep.

He jumped when Clockwork's lips touched his cheek lightly. The signs of affection from the master of time were still a little odd.

"Good morning to you too," Dan said with a smirk.

"Afternoon," Clockwork corrected him, "Get up. I want to show you something."

Dan sighed and tossed his blanket off of him to let it lay on the other side of the matress. Shortly after doing all of Sam's shopping Clockwork got a bed for the evil ghost to get him down from the rafters. Normally Dan would have told him to screw himself but a matress was looking pretty nice after no long of sleeping on a wooden board.

And the benifits of a bed weren't bad either. No, he and Clockwork never fooled around in it, but they made out on it a few times. Dan did most of the work, the master of time kept saying that he didn't have time for it and would eventually push Dan off of him. But He liked it and Dan could tell.

Though, his age switching was really confusing for Dan...

He grabbed the shirt of his suit and pulled it on as he followed Clcokwork to the viewing room. Sam was already there and staring at the screnes.

As they got closer Dan could see Danny taking shots at some blonde kid wearing purple and black. The boy was obviously a ghost and obviously not very good at it. His moves were awkward, his powers were weak and he had an attitude.

Dan cocked his head as Danny slammed the boy into a rock, yelling at him to talk. It wasn't like Danny to get so worked up. Taking Sam must have pissed him off more than Dan expected.

The mystery ghost opened his mouth a smallpulse of high pitched sound escaping. Dan and Sam both covered their ears protectively as it did.

"What was THAT?" Dan asked, at the same time as his younger self.

"Doens't matter." Clcokwork told him, "This is the important part."

The ghost boy on the screne grasped a floating lantern as it drifted past him. Dan watched as he pushed it toward Danny.

What was going on?

It appeared as if the boy was trying to help Danny. But why would he do that? And what good did a lantern do?

"See you at the festival" The ghost child said as he lifted off and flew away from danny.

The vision followed the ghost boy away from the young Halfa. He raced behind a large stone structure and stopped. His beathing was ragged and he gripped his chest painfully.

Dan looked closer and saw that his long purple cape was clasped by a bronze gear. Looking beside him to Clockwork he saw a very similar one on the Time Keeper. Were they connected some how?

The preteen ghost boy fell onto his back side, with a sigh and the vision disapered. Dan looked between the empty screne and Clockwork in confusion.

"What was the point of that?" Dan asked, motioning to where he had just seem the unnamed boy, "Who was that kid?"

"That is Aaron." Clcokwork told him flatly, "He is leading Danny and his friends to you. I thought you deserved to know."

Dan growled, "How does that little punk know where I am?"

"Easy," Clockwork answered, "Because I told him,"

Dan gaped, "You WHAT?"

Clcokwork sold him out?

Sam looked equally confused, "I thought you said you weren't helping."

"I'm not." Clockwork told her, "I am indirectly helping both sides. That boy is something of an extention of myself."

"Explains why he's dressed like you," dan said crossing his arms, "Why are you helping Danny find me? I thought you were against all of this 'mindless violence'." He narrowed his eyes, "And it's nice to know that you made out with me then turned around and practically turned me in."

Clockwork sighed, "Dan you take everything so personally... I don't believe that a fight will occur at all so I didn't really betray you."

"Of course a fight will happen!" Dan snapped, "That's what all of this is about ! That's why I'm here! To get revenge on Danny Fenton!"

Clockwork frowned at him with slightly narrowed eyes, "Good to know..."

"I think you hurt his feelings..." Sam whispered to Dan with her hand beside her mouth.

Dan sighed and rolled his eyes, pushing Sam away from him. He stepped up to Clockwork. The master of time looked away from him to glare at the wall with his arms crossed. It was adorable looking in his current child state. But that didn't make Dan any less confused about what Clockwork was fussing about.

"Clockwork, come on. " Dan said with a forced smile, "You must have known I was going to say that, why are you so pissed of all of a sudden?"

"Knowing it before it happens doesn't make it any more pleasent," Clockwork told him stifly, "At least I know now that you're not here for my company."

Dan ran a hand down his face, "You're like a chick!" Dan grabbed Clcokwork's shoulder and turned him to face him, "We aren't even together! We _kissed_! That's it! Why are you so bent out of shape?"

Clockwork let out a breath and looked up at Dan with half lidded eyes, "I'll remember that later when you come crawling back for more."

Dan furrowed his brow as the time ghost turned to leave, "What?" Dan looked to Sam, "What's his problem?"

"I'm just a girl. I don't know how gay guys work," She shrugged, "But something tells me that when you said the only reason you were here was too get revenge, you offended him."

"We kissed a couple times, big woop!" Dan shouted, "It's not like we're dating!"

"Maybe that's not how he sees it," Sam said with a frown, "I suggest you go fix this or you're not getting any for a while."

Dan rolled his eyes once more and started off down the hall after Clcokwork. He could see the purple cloaked ghost at a door near the end of the coridor and called out to him. Clockwork turned and back out of the door way to look at Dan.

"Yes?" He asked flatly.

"Look, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Dan started, "But it's not like we're serious."

Clockwork blinked at him silently.

Dan groaned, "At least say something! Throw me a bone here! I don't know what to tell you. I'm not even sure what I did wrong!"

Clockwork continued to stare blankly at him.

Dan gripped his own hair in frustration, "ARGHH! You're killing me, here! **What **do you **want **from me?"

The master of time continued to not speak to him.

What was his problem? Was Clockwork under the impression that they were in a relationship now? It was a kiss! In today's society that meant next to nothing!

Was that what the festval thing was about? Was that Clockwork's idea of a date?

They hadn't even gone yet!

Dan groaned and rubbed his face tiredly, "I don't know what to do..." He looked up at Clockwork with a sigh, "Would it help if I apologized?"

"You don't even know what you're apologizing for..." Clockwork stated dryly.

"Maybe not, but it's worth a shot right?" Dan offered.

"Perhaps..." Clockwork said thoughtfully, "But you're still keeping your hands off of me until you mean it."

**BUM BUM BUM- for the first part. Looks like they have a stop to make at the festival after all. ;) What will happen there? We'll have to wait and see.**

**HAHA at Clockwork and Dan. I think it is obvious who is the woman of this relationship xD **

**Kidding! Totally kidding. **


	8. Pain Pills and Arguments

"Nocturne? Who's Nocturne?" Maddie fenton asked looking between the two teenage boys. A great confusion had fallen over her and Danny could tell that she had no idea why he and Tucker were both so shocked.

"Nocturne is the ghost of sleep," Danny told her with a half angry, half thoughtful frown, "The only time I've ever interacted with him was when he was trying to put the whole world to sleep."

"And he would have if we didn't shut down his dream sucking machine in time," Tucker added, "The other other time we saw him was during the disasteroid chaos. He attacked Danny and helped turn the world intagible."

"Well at least he got brownie points for that," Walker mumbled sarcasticly as he sat back down on the floor to lean on the wall.

"Why would he want to put the world to sleep?" Maddie asked.

"The motivation of all super villians. To become all powerful." Technus explained, taking off his shades to wipe them on his coat.

"You speaking from experience?" Danny asked with a raised brow and a smirk.

The mad scientist just shrugged.

"How is Nocturne supposed to help us?" Tucker asked, "All he does is make people go to sleep and feed off their dreams."

"He's a wack job. I wouldn't trust him to help you." Walker said, pulling his hat down over his eyes, "Going to him for help has bad idea written all over it."

"Walker could be right, sweety," Maddie told her son, "How credible is this kid who told you to go to him? All he's done is cause trouble. He could just have us walking into a fight."

"Something tells me that Nocturne won't risk getting put out of commission right before he's supposed to put half of the animals in the world to sleep for the winter." Danny said with a full frown, "But you're right. That kid can't possibly know what he's doing. He doesn't even have good ghost powers."

"Neither did you when you were starting out," Technus pointed out, "If I remember right you summoned your very first shield in a fight with me. Probably copying the move I used on you the night before."

Danny smiled. It was sadly true.

"Alright, that aside, I say we go the fastival anyway. If we can get Nocturne alone we'll talk to him. If not..." He paused thoughtfully, "I guess we'll have to figure something else out."

"First things first we get rested," Technus told him, placing a fatherly hand on his shoulder, "You relax, I'll take wheel."

Danny smiled up at him. Relax was something Danny hadn't done in a week. He hadn't even left ghost mode. Looking Down at his leg he saw the very reason he hadn't.

Being in Ghost mode allowed him to forget his pain and walk like a normal person again. He didn't use his chair, he hardly limped... He was normal. Going back into his human form would take all of that away again.

Taking a deep breath he slowly transformed back to his normal raven haired, human self. He felt his body weeken and his right leg shake under his weight. He allowed hiimself to fall against the metal wall and slide down onto the floor.

With a pained sigh he rubbed his knee tenderly. He'd grown really used to being able to ignore it. And a lot of the time he'd even forgoted that he even had a fake leg. His new one worked perfectly in ghost form.

"Leg hurts?" Walker asked, peeking out from under the brim of his hat.

Danny smiled half heartedly, "Kinda."

"Here," Walker reached in his coat and pulled out a bottle of medicine, "Take one of these. I use them for back pain."

"Ghost pain pills?" Danny asked, reaching for the bottle. He squinted at the lable, "They're prescription."

"Got them from Spectra," The warden told him with a smile, "Nice lady."

Danny smiled, "So that's why you were in a better mood at the birthday party! How are things going?"

"Pretty good till I had to go gallavanting off with you," Walker teased, "You gonna take the pills or not?"

"But they're prescribed to you," Danny stated with a smirk, "Isn't this agaisnt the rules?"

Walker laughed in his throat, "So is doing side work when I should be on duty. But here I am."

Danny smiled and punched the warden in the arm playfully, "I knew I'd get to you eventually."

"Oh really?" Walker asked, raising a brow.

"Well, technically Sam did." Danny shrugged as he opened the pills, "She's convinced that I can change you for the better."

Walker huffed, "Don't get your hopes up. You'll still have to work off your years once this is over."

Danny chuckled lightly as he poured a couple pills in his hand, "I look foreward to it."

"Well, stop. " Walker told him, "That takes the fun out of it for me... You forgot your hat at your house..."

Danny looked up at his hair and hummed, "Oops. Guess the uniform's not really complete then, huh?" He tugged on the vest he was still wearing for emphasis.

Danny tossed the pills in his mouth and swallowed them quickly. His throat was dry so it was difficult but he managed to get them down.

Almost instantly he felt relief. And after a couple minutes even his eyes relaxed and he fell asleep.

**=DP=**

Dan sat at the foot of Clockwork's circular bed and watched the time keeper as he slept. Anyone who would have walked in would have compared him to a dog or a cat staring down their owner for attention.

Clockwork had stayed true to his word and not allowed Dan anywhere near him after he forced out his apology. And after an entire day of being questioned by Dan over what he'd done wrong, the master of time finally retired to his room.

Dan had never been in Clockwork's room before and for the longest time thought that the ghost never slept. It took him a long time just to find the place and was disapointed to find Clockwork already sleeping when he got there. He was hoping he could interogate him some more before he passed out from exhaustion.

Dan frowned and watched Clockwork's shoulders move with each breath as he lay on his side, wrapped in his cloak. He was peacful and completely oblivious to the evil ghost's presence. or at least was really good at ignoring him.

The larger of the two males huffed and moved a bit closer. It was killing him that he couldn't figure out why Clockwork was mad at him. What had he done wrong? There was nothing more than a physical attraction. Right?

Dan moved to sit cross legged beside the time keeper, Clockwork's back to him as he slept. He watched the stoic blue face as it changed to the form of an old man and to a child.

Finding the nerve to reach out, Dan placed a hand on Clockwork's shoulder. He gripped it gently and shook it very carefully. He wasn't sure how jumpy Clockwork was when he was woken up and he didn't want to tempt fate by being rough.

Clockwork groaned and rolled over, still completly asleep. He whined about how he didn't want to get up and pulled his cloak around him securly.

Dan laughed and reached up to move the hood off of Clockwork's face.

"Clockwork, wake up," He whispered.

"Nng! No..." Clockwork reached out to put an arm around Dan's waist. He squeezed him, pulling the other male closer to nuzzle his side sleepily. Dan had never been treated like a teddy bear before and wasn't sure if he liked it.

Dan sighed and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. He put a hand on Clcokworks back and patted it gently.

He laid there for what could have been hours before Clockwork finally started to stir awake.

The master of time opened his eyes slowly to look up at Dan, the glow lighting up a small portion of the front of Dan's suit. He blinked a few times and looked down at his arms.

There was silence for a moment.

"Ah!" Clcokwork lurched back from Dan like he'd been bitten. He pulled his cloak around him like a cacoon, lifting it a bit to partially hide his face. He glared, a tinge of pink just under his eyes.

Dan laughed in his chest and sat up, "Good evening to you too."

"What are you doing in here? Get out of my bed." Clockwork demanded.

"Still mad at me?" Dan asked with a frown.

"What do you think?"

The lighter skinned ghost sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? For whatever I did. Can we just make up already?"

"No." Clockwork told him, "I want to sleep and you're in my bed. Get out."

Dan stared him down for a minute. He then looked over the all knowing ghost's posture. He'd curled into himself and was hiding from Dan. His usual cool demaner was broken and he seemed very embarassed that Dan would be there.

That could only mean...

"You were dreaming about me," Dan grinned with narrow eyes.

"I was not!" Clockwork snapped, more childish than ever.

"Then why won't you come out here and face me?" Dan asked leaning in closer to lok in Clockwork's eyes.

The master of time glared as he shifted to his middle aged form. He sighed and unwrapped himself. He was till frowing in disapproval of Dan's presence but his blush disapered.

"What was the dream about?" Dan asked a teasing tone in his voice.

"Nothing. I don't dream." Clockwork told him, "I only see visions of the past present and future."

"Wow, even your dreams have no life..." Dan said flatly.

"Unlike you, _Dan_, I have a full time occupation. I can't mess around whenever I please like you can!" Clockwork spat, "Not that you would know. You never think about any one but yourself."

Dan sat up straighter, eyes wider than they had been, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, _Daniel Fenton_!" Clockwork hissed, using Dan's old, human name, "That is the exact reason you can't figure out why I'm upset with you!"

Dan blinked in surprise. He'd never seen Clockwork angry before and it kind of scared him. The normally calm red eyes were burning and his lips were partially parted to show his perfect teeth grinding.

"Clockwork I-"

"Dan, don't." Clcokwork held up a hand to silence him, "I know what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it. I'm tired and don't want to deal with this anymore."

Dan reached out and pushed the hand down, gripping it slightly. He looked into Clockwork's eyes seriously as he spoke.

"Please..." He said quietly. He wasn't sure exactly what he was asking for but hopefuly he would get it.

"I can't make you understand, Dan," Clockwork told him, "You have to do this on your own. I can't just tell you what to say or do to get where you need to be."

"Well right now I need _you_!" Dan blurted out, his hand quickly coming to his mouth.

Clockwork sighed, retracting his hand looking away from Dan, "I know you do... But I can't be here for you untill you understand why you're really here, why you really exist... And as much as I love-" The master of time cut himself off as he looked back up at his larger counter part. His face showed that he couldn't believe he'd said what he had. Even though he hadn't actually said anything.

It couldn't be...

"Love what?" Dan asked with a frown, "You aren't saying..."

"Don't be rediculous!" Clockwork interupted quickly, "I was going to say, as much as I love helping you, I can't do it forever..."

"No you weren't" Dan could see right through the lie.

He'd told enough in his life to see when some one was lying to him. Even some one like Clockwork.

"You were going to tell me you love me..."

The master of time gaped at him, mouth partially open in shock. For some one who could see the future he was looking very shocked at the moment. And shocking Clockwork wasn't an easy thing to do.

"What? No I-"

Dan slid back from Clcokwork slowly, putting more space between them. This was wrong.. They had only been involved with eachother for less than a week.

"Dan, wait." Clockwork said, reaching out to him, "I didn't mean to-"

"How can you love me?" Dan asked suddenly, unable to contain his confusion, "We've only been together-"

"Dan, you mustn't forget something about me," Clockwork took his turn interupting Dan now, "I exist in all planes of time. I live in all time lines past and present. All of my thoughts and feelings I've ever had, or ever will have, are all in my memory... Sometimes it is hard for me to discern one year from the next and I tell some one something that hasn't happened yet... That's why I was embarassed when I saw you here... Because I was seeing us while I was asleep."

"So you will love me?" Dan asked, cocking his head, "Seeing us doing what, exactly?"

"You would probaly be better off not knowing..." Clockwork mumbled, glancing away from him, shifting through his ages.

Dan thought about the comment. What about them would he be better off not knowing?

Oh, hell no..

"We were having sex?"

Clockwork flinched back, "Well... if you want to be crude... Yes."

Dan gaped, on the verge of a panic attack.

He and-

And they were-

He and another man were-

And he almost liked the idea!

"Dan, calm down..." Clockwork told him, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.

Dan jerked back from the touch. He scambled back off of the bed and pressed himself to the closest wall.

Clockwork gave him a heartbroken look and lowered his head, looking defeated.

"I'm sorry, Dan... You weren't supposed to find out like this..."

"How was I _supposed _to find out?" Dan rebuttled, "How is one _supposed _to find out that they are going to _do _their jailer of almost four years?"

Clockwork slouched further, "I'm sorry..."

Dan breathed heavily, trying to asses the situation and think of the next best possible solution. He could run but that might not end well...

But on the flip side, Clockwork was apologizing to _him_! The situation had turned completly around to _Clockwork _being the one in trouble!

The baster of time slumped with his hands over his face, "Master of time indeed..."

Dan frowned, "Clockwork? Are you... crying?"

"No." The other stated, "I'm just frustrated..."

The evil ghost stepped closer carefully, like Clockwork might snap at any second. He dind't know what he was doing but if he wanted to smooth this over he had to do something...

"Clockwork? You okay?" He asked walking around the bed to get a bit closer to the emotional ghost.

"Sometimes I wonder if the Observants are right..." He heard Clockwork whisper to himself, "I can save the future, send ghosts back in time... but I can't keep my own mouth shut!"

"You know... You can make it go away..." Dan offered, "You can turn back the clocks and not say it...I won't mind. I won't even notice..."

Clockwork took his hands from his face, "It isn't that simple with me... Like I said, I exist in all plains of existance... I can't change anything _I _do. Only things others do..."

Dan nodded slowly, "Oh..."

"Dan, I'm sorry." Clockwork apologized again.

"Me too..." The younger of the two admitted, "I shouldn't have come to bother you..."

"No, you shouldn't have..." Clockwork agreed, "But I'm pleased to see you care enough to."

Dan found himself smiling at the words. They seemed to make him feel a bit better, dispite what he had just learned.

"Things are going to be awkward now... aren't they?" Dan asked, glancing up at the time keeper nervously.

Clockwork nodded, "Yes. But I suggest we keep this between us, for poor Samantha's sake."

"Oh, because her poor virgin ears couldn't handle it?" Dan asked sarcastically, "Out of you two, I swear you're acting like the pregnant woman."

Clockwork frowned and narrowed his eyes, "I resent that. I don't have nearly as many cravings."

Dan laughed and sat on the edge of the bed. When he stopped he calmed himself and looked at the man in front of him.

"So what now?" Dan asked.

"Now..." Clockwork started tiredly, "Now, we get some rest. If you plan on getting me to like you again, making breakfast tomarrow would be a nice start."

"Oh, come on!" Dan whined, falling back on the soft matress, "After this you're still mad at me?"

"More than ever," Clockwork corrected him as he crawled back to his place and curled up, "So you go on to sleep so you can get up nice and early tomarrow."

Dan stood to leave but as he reached the door he looked back thoughtfully. Clockwork was laying just as Dan had found him, with a similar peaceful expression. Dan sighed and turned back to the door way.

Pulling his cloak around him again, Clockwork closed his eyes. He nuzzled into his soft pillows comfortably, his ghostly tail flicking gently from his nerves.

He was starting to calm down and now needed rest. He didn't look back as Dan walked away. He didn't give a second thought to the door opening and certainly didn't bother to say goodnight as it closed. They both had said more than enough.

Visons of alternate versions of the moment flickers across Clockworks closed eyes. Each slightly differnt than the one before. There were versions where Dan had taken it better and a version of the present where Clockwork had managed to keep his bog mouth shut. None were solid though. They were all hollow images of what could have been.

Clockwork's eyes opened again as pressure was placed on the opposite side of the bed. He stayed sill as the matress creeked and a shadow was cast over him.

An arm came up to wrap around his upper body protectively. Clockwork didn't fight back as lips gently pressed against his jaw line. He even tilted his head to make room. He allowed himself to get pulled against the chest of the larger body and relaxed in his grip.

"Goodnight, Dan," He said to the silence as he closed his eyes again, resting his head on the pillows once more.

"Mm-hm.." Was the grunted reply.

**Awkward conversation is awkward... **


	9. The new plan

**Short Chapter ahead.**

Danny limped out of the bathroom, his hair still damp from his shower. He was the last one to get a shower because he had been asleep from the pain pills Walker had given him. They knocked him out for a few hours.

He tossed his towel around his neck and went to his room to get a hair brush. He leaned on the wall so he wouldn't fall as he walked. When he opened the door he saw his mom sitting at the edge of his bed.

Her head was hung and she looked very sullen...

"Mom?" Danny walked in, "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him and gave a halfhearted smile, "Of course, Danny... That shower really relaxed my muscles..."

The boy walked closer, "You know what I meant..." He sat beside her, "What's wrong?"

He looked down at her clenched hands and saw a picture of him when he was younger. It ws the same picture that Danny had seen in Technus' room a month before.

"You're just growing up so fast..." Maddie sobbed, a tear escaping her violet eyes.

Dan frowned slightly, "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"Technus showed me your room while you were in the shower," She said mothing around them to the awesome room Technus had set up for Danny, "I guess it didn't set in till I saw it for myself but... You're grown up now and ready to go out on your own... You don't need me anymore.."

"I'll always need you, mom," danny said, putting an arm around her, "And some day your grand children will too."

It was a weird thought that Danny was gooing to make her a grandmother before Jazz.

Maddie smiled and embracd him tightly. Danny heard her sigh happy and leaned away from him suddenly, looking over Danny's shoulder still. Danny followed her gaze and saw Technus standing just outside the door. He was holding a handheld computer and must have been working on it when he found them. His hair was stil wet and pressed flat against his head like Danny's. And like Danny, he must not have bothered to dry it at all.

Maddie extended her hand to the ghost to call him over. Danny smiled at his mother proudly. She'd managed to over come her hate of ghosts for Danny's sake. At least in Technus' case.

The master of technology came foreward slowly. Maddie grabbed him by the arm once he was in range and pulled him into the hug. Danny put an arm around his shoulder to hold him.

"If you're part of this family you have to be a part of the hugs," Danny's mother told him.

Technus laughed, hugging them both breifly. It was really the first time he'd ever touched Maddie so he was unsure of how long of a hug was approopriate. After all, she may have been Danny's mother, but she was married to another man.

"Thank you so much, for everything you've done for Danny," Maddie said gratefully, as she held on to the green skinned ghost, "I wasn't sure what to think of you being a ghost at first but you've definately proved to be more human than I expected."

Technus patted her on the back carefully, "Thank you..."

Danny smiled at them, "Aaaaaw. Mommy and Daddy sharing a hug. How cute."

"Shut it." Technus told him, pushing him back with a hand to his face. It was playful but it still knocked Danny backward.

"You guys coming?" Tucker asked, materializing in the door way. He put his hands to his mouth to hold in a laugh, "Mr. Fenton won't like that."

Maddie released Technus with a laugh and turned to the boy, "We'll be right out."

Danny got off of the floor and grabbed them both, "Come on, we don't have any time to waste here."

In the living room Walker was seated on the couch, his feet propped up on the table calmly. He was reading a news paper he must have gone to pick up and casually drinking coffee. Danny frowned at him and looked back at the others.

"I think it's best if we stay here for a while and... chill out?" Technus suggested, not sure if he were using the proper term.

Danny frowned, "But what about Sam?"

"Danny we can drive around forever but that wont change the fact that we have no idea where to look." Tucker told him, being careful not to step on anything, while practically drooling over the technology in the house, "We need to come up with a new- Is that an uplink to the cybertron mega computer? I thought that blew up!"

Tucker ran over to geek out over the machien on the far end of the room and Technus followed to keep him from touching anything.

Danny sighed and floated over to the couch. He sat next to walker and looked over his shoulder to see what he was reading.

"There's an article about Nocturne in here," Walker told him with out looking up.

"Oh, yeah? What about him?" Danny asked curiously.

"Apparently the writer of this managed to pin him down and get an interview with him, since he's such a big part of the festival." Walker started and flipped back a few pages to read, "According to this, not only can he take power from dreams but inside the dream world he can do whatever he pleases. He can mold dreams to create nightmares or even dreams of the... most pleasent kind... It also says he doens't normal do that. He lets poeple have their own fantasies."

"Well I pretty much already knew that," Danny said with a shrug, "Anything else."

"Yeah. And I think this is why we're supposed to go looking for him." Walker said looking at Danny for a second, "He also has the ability to track people through their dreams and find where they are. And he can even communicate with their mind."

Danny gaped,"That's it then! We have to get him to find Sam!"

"Yeah, but if she isn't asleep?" Maddie asked, coming to sit with them.

"Nocturne will remember her dreams. He remembered mine," Danny told her, "I'm sure he will know something."

"Well, let's hope we can catch him before he goes into the human world... Otherwise we'll have to wait till he comes back.. And who knows when that will be." Maddie sighed.

"Actually, it probably won't take long at all, "Danny told her, "He doesn't exactly work alone. He has an army of Sleep Walkers that work for him."

"So, what? We're just gonna walk up and ask for him to tell us where your girlfriend is?" Walker asked, tossing the paper onto the table by his feet, "Some thing tells me he might not be happy to see you. Let alone, stop what he's doing to help you."

Danny ran his hands through his hair as he thought. Walker was right. They had to be delicate with this. One foot out of line and Nocturne could snap on them. They had to get on his good side and stay there until he finished helping them... But how do you do that with a ghost who wants to destroy you?

"Anyone even know where to look for this guy?" Danny asked to everyone in the room.

"I don't know where we can look for him but I know how to find him," Tucker said with a smug smile, "We use that ghost radar in the Specter Speeder."

"Right."Technus agreed, "We'll recalibrate it and hook it up to my systems here to scan the entire Ghost Zone."

"That's brilliant!" Maddie said happily, "That way we can find his unique echo signature and track him down!"

"And hopefully we'll find him before the festival." Walker added.

"I'll go get the radar from the Speeder," Tucker said with a grin, runing through the door.

"Open the door like a ghost!" Technus shouted after him, following behind him, "I'll go with him to make sure he doesnt break anything."

"And I'll have a look at your computer to see if it's compatable," Maddie said, hopping up to go to a control panel on a distant wall.

Danny watched them go with a frown. He looked beside him as Walker patted him on the back.

"Guess you're stuck here in the dumb people corner," The warden joked, "Why dont you do some of your school work or something so you can still graduate."

Danny rolled his eyes, "Okay, gramps. I'll do that..."

Danny went ghost and lifted himself from the couch with ease. He floated to his room.

"And call your family, I'm sure they're worried sick!"


	10. Getting Help

"So everyone is cool with the plan?"

"Yeah."

"Yup."

"Yes."

"I guess so..."

Danny took a deep breath as he looked over his group. The humans wore Specter Deflecters just in case a ghost decided to go after them. The ghosts had their own weapons on hand for the same reason. No one could be exactly sure what to expect. According to Walker and Technus it was different every year and not all the same ghosts always showed up. There was no way of telling how many of Danny's enemies would turn up at the pre-solstice festivities.

"Alright, let's do this." Danny sighed, turning to the control panel. He flipped up the plastic cover over the switch and pressed the button with his thumb.

The machine whirred to life and the screne lit up brightly. The circular radar screen, hooked up to the transmission antenna, began scanning the Ghost Zone. In seconds a digital, holographic map of the Zone was formed in front of their eyes.

"Wow. Where was this when we were mapping out this place?" Tucker asked with dull surprise.

"In my secret biological father's house," Danny answered blandly.

The map continued to build, showing areas of concentrated ghost energy of both high and low levels. Danny prayed in his head as it scanned.

'Please work!' He thought anxiously, 'We need Nocturne!'

The scan finished and the computer beeped in recognition. Technus stepped up to it and reached out to the holographic screan. he pressed his fingers to it and it zoomed in to that region. Every on watched in awe of the advanced computer as Technus scrolled through the ghost zone, enlarging certain areas and pulling up charts of power levels.

"So? Can we find him with this thing?" Walker asked, crossing his arms.

Technus didn't answer at first. The map in front of him changed and shifted as he sorted through the vast amounts of Data. Danny could tell he was ecstatic about this because now he had all the info he would need about the ghosts in the Zone.

Suddenly he shouted and through his hands up in the air, "YES!"

Every one jumped from the outburst.

Danny quickly moved foreward, "What is it? Did you find him?"

"Oh, yeah," Technus answered turning to grin at his son, "He's still at his lair. If we leave now we can probably catch him."

"Awesome!" Danny exclaimed, hugging his father briefly, "You rock!"

Technus accepted the compliment smugly and was herded out the door with the others by Danny. He loaded them into the speeder and rushed to the driver's seat. He wasted no time firing up the engine and heading off.

"Just tell me where I have to go." He told Technus and Tucker, who were pulling up the map on the vehichles computer.

"Due east," They both answered, not looking up.

Danny turned sharply in the direction he was told. He stared intently out the glass dome in front of him. Nothing was going to get in his way now. Not when he was this close.

"Just remember, everyone," Danny started, his eyes still fixed in front of him, "When we get there, everyone just stay calm."

Danny continued to get directtions as he drove along. He could see the lanters diagonal from them but they headed off in a different direction. At least they were close to the festival should they miss him.

"We're close." Tucker told him.

Danny didn't look but he heard his mom readying a Fenton Bazooka. He took even breaths to keep himself calm.

"It should be right in front of us," Technus said, looking up from the radar.

He gasped along with the others. He was right. Nocturne's lair was right in front of them. It was just like Danny had seen it in Nocturne's dream. It was a large, menacing castle with tall towers. Thankfully the hordes of Sleep Walkers were missing and Nocturne wasn't gigantic.

Danny slowlly pulled closer to the castle, easing on the brake gently. No Sleep Walkers materialised so Nocturne must not have seen them yet. Either that or he was ignoring them.

Danny told the others to wait for him in the Speeder. He didnt want to put them in danger should Nocturne be hostile. He could take this guy on his own should it be nessessary.

The Halfa walked up to th large ornate door and reached for the knocker. He brought it up and thumped it down against the door three times before releasing it.

Almost instantly the door creaked open, allowing Danny to step inside. No doubt Nocturne opened it with those strange telepathy powers he, and a few other ghosts, seemed to have. It was well lit inside, and Danny could see all the way up to the high ceiling. It definately looked like a castle on the inside too.

"Nocturne?... You home?" Danny called out nevervously, his right foot causing metalic rings to echo off of the walls as he stepped.

"I am here, Ghost Boy." A deep voice echoed through the caverness room. Danny jumped back when, in a flash of white light, Nocturne appeared in front of him, "But I can't help but wonder why you are here."

Danny swallowed and straightened up, "I'm here to ask you for your help..."

"My _help_?" The ghost of sleep boomed, "You ruin my plans, trap me in a thermos and send me back to this place and you expect me to _help you_?"

Dannysmiled sheepishly, "Yes?"

Nocturne growled, fangs bared, "You have a lot of gaul coming to me for help. Why should I help you?"

"Please, Nocturne. If you do't help me an evil ghost might hurt Sam!" Danny pleaded, "You're the only chance I have of finding her!"

Nocturne scowled at him, "And what incentive do I have to help you or your girlfriend?"

"Fiance now, actually..." Danny corrected him quietly, "Nocturne, please! I'll do anything if you'll just help us find her. "

The dream ghost glared at him in silence. Danny was sure he was thinking of all the horrible things he wanted to do to the boy as revenge. Hopefully he wouldn't act on any of those urges.

"Anything?" He asked in a slightly calmer tone than before.

Danny nodded, "Yes. Just please don't turn me away. You're the only hope we have."

Nocturne sighed, "Your pleas do not fall on deaf ears, ghost boy. I am not without compassion... I will help you."

Danny instantly perked up, "Really?"

"On one condition," Nocturne told him quickly.

"Anything. I'll do whatever you ask," Danny told him sincerly, even though he knew he'd probably hate the condition.

The ghost of sleep hovered around the boy in a circle, "As I am sure you're aware, the solstice is coming up. I assume you are attending?"

"I might..." Danny shrugged, "Why?"

"It is a very tedious job that I have to do. Going over whole continents putting animals into hibernation for the winter..." Nocturne told him with a tired sigh, "And although I can summon my Sleep Walkers I find it difficult and tiring. Keeping the Sleepwalkers active as well as doing my own work quickly drains my energy. Faster than it can replenish itself."

"Okay... What do you want _me _to do then?" The halfa asked, cokcing his head ever so slightly.

Nocturne smiled at him with purple lips and raised a hand to about shoulder level. Something floated up behind him and landed in his palm. He closed his clawed fingers around it and lowered his hand again.

"What I want you to do is help me with my task," Nocturne told him.

Danny's eyes went wide, "Help you? How am I supposed to do that? I don't have sleep powers!"

Nocturne chuckled, "No, of course not. That would spell disaster for the world."

Danny frowned. Very funny.

"In order to help me, you will wear this," He opened his hand where Danny could see it and showed the boy a silver medalion.

It was round and smooth, On the surface was a decorative engraved purple 'N'. It was strung on a silver chain that looked like it belonged on expensive jewlry.

"What does this do?" Danny asked eyeing the object.

Nocturne smirked, "This allows the wearer to have temporary use of my powers. It was forged in the same way as the Time Medalions my brother uses."

"Clockwork is your _brother_?" Daniel gaped in shock.

The ghost of sleep nodded, "Yes. Fitting I suppose. He is the only being that does _not _dream. But that is beside the point."

The medalion was held out to Danny for him to take. Danny didn't reach for it because he had a very bad feeling about this.

"You will wear it if you want to save your fiance." Nocturne ordered him.

The half ghost swallowed and reached for the item. As his fingers closed around it he felt a spark of a new power course though his limbs.

"And if I do this you'll help me find Sam?" Danny asked with a frown.

Nocturne nodded.

"No catch?"

Nocturne shook his head, "The only catch might be that you learn something along the way."

Danny inhaled deeply and relaed it slowly, "Well... here goes nothing..."

He slipped the medalion around his neck slowly. And instantly his body was racked with energy. He shouted as his muscles were tensed against his will and the mones in his hands strained as his fingers extended into claws. Black creeped out from behind the medalion, consuming Danny's chest then the rest of his body all the way up to his jaw line. A red glow filled his vision as his eyes changed color from green to all red. His hair flapped wildly as the transformation took place and suddenly fell flat as it ended.

Danny panted as his body finished it's change. He slumped over in mid air and fell to his knees, drifting down to the floor.

"What happened to me?" Danny asked, out of breath. He looked at his clawed hands in shock and then to his body. Interestingly, his mechanical leg didn't get transformed. Probably since it was unnatural.

"Don't worry. You'll go back to normal once you take the medalion off," Nocturne told him, "But for now it is rather fitting..."

Danny regained his composer and floated up to meet Nocturne eye to eye.

The ghost of sleep reached out to grasp the necklace between his index finger and thumb, "This will give you the power to put creature to sleep. You cannot lose this under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

Danny nodded.

"Good." Nocturne smiled, "After this I will locate your lover and you're free to go."

Danny managed a smile, "You don't know how much this means to me, Nocturne."

The dream ghost didn't return the gesture but nodded, "Do not think this means we are fiends, ghost boy. We are not on good terms."

Danny shrugged, "Doens't mean it's not worth a shot."

"OH MY GOD!"

Danny and Nocturne both turned to the door to see Maddie standing in it.

"What have you done to my son?"

**Look everyone! Another costume change for Danny! Yaaaaaaay! And check out my deviant art for pictures of Dream!Danny and some ClockworkxDan lovin ^^ **

**my user name is Transformer-wannabe**


	11. Enemies Assembled

"What did you do to Danny?" Maddie roared, pulling up her bazooka to take aim.

"Ah, the ghost boy's mother." Nocturne said with a smirk.

Danny jerked the necklace from Nocturne's grip so he could fly foreward. He put himself in between his mom and Nocturne. He shook his head to keep his flattened hair out of his eyes. Where his hair tie had gone he had no idea. Then again, his cape had seemed to absorb into the black second skin as well.

"Mom, don't!" He told her holding his hands in front of him.

"Out of the way, Danny." Sh etold him, "I'll take care of this ectoplasmic piece of-"

Danny saw her pulling back on the trigger and paniced. He shot a blast from his extended hands to knock the bazooka out of her hands. But, instead of a green ray, blue dust flew at Maddie.

Danny gasped and looked at his hands as his mother suddenly passed out on the floor, the bazooka firing off into a ranom direction and hitting the wall.

"What just happened?" Danny asked looking back at Nocturne.

He had a smile and appearntly thought this was amusing.

"I told you. That medalion gives you sleep powers in the place of your own." Nocturne told him smugly, "Don't worry. You'll get them back as soon as you remove it. And I expect it back as soon as this is finished."

Danny nodded with a frown, "Right..."

He walked over to where his mother had fallen to pick her up. He lifted her and carried her outside to the speeder, Nocturne behind him. The faces of his search party were impossible to describe. They looked like they'd seen a... well you know.

"Dude..." Tucker said, totally stunned.

"What happened to you?" Technus asked.

"It's complicated..." Danny told them, placing his mother in the vehichle, "Wake her up we have some stuff to talk about..."

The teen looked over his shoulder at Nocturne who was scanning the faces of Danny's family and friends. No doubt he was looking back on their dreams.

"So, I assume your new fashion choice has soemthing to do with Nocturne helping us?" Walker asked, looking the boy up and down with an unsure frown.

Danny laughed nervously, "Yeah... I have to help him before he'll help us though."

"Help him? How are you supposed to do that?" Tucker asked with wide eyes.

"Like my brother, though not as gifted with his omipotence, I have the ability to give temporary use of a fraction of my powers," Nocturne spoke up, "And as such he is temporarily immune from my powers of sleep."

"Nifty." Walker drawled sarcasticly, "And why does he look like outer space threw up on him?"

The ghost of sleep frowned with half lidded eyes, "It's part of the job. Why do you dress like a 1930s gangster wannabe?"

Danny put his hand to his mouth to supress his laughter. Walker just shrugged it off, knowing he had it coming. Danny looked between every one and let out a breath.

"Well..." He turned to Nocturne, "What now?"

"Now we will go to the festivities. The soltice is still many hours away and we do not have to leave until it begins. " Nocturne explained, "It is typical that the ghosts who bring about the change of season partake in the events."

"And what kinds of events are they?" Danny asked, crossing his arms, "Cause I'm not sure I feel comfortable going in front of people I know like this..."

"Yet, the whole human world knows you are half ghost," The ghost of sleep pointed out, "You care far too much what people think of you. I've seen it first had. Your fantasies of being full ghost or all human..."

Danny blinked at him. He didnt remember those dreams. But the fantasy was true none the less.. He was torn between the worlds of ghosts and humans and longed for the acceptance of both.

"Besides, it's not like anyone will recognise you," Technus said with a slight smile, "If it weren't for your leg I wouldn't have known it was you."

Danny looked down at his right leg and shifted it on the ground. The only other ghosts who had seen his robot leg were Johnny, Kitty and Vortex and the latter would be too stupid to figure out that this was Danny under all of this... freakiness.

Well, the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady had seen it too but they had seen him in a wheelchair. They would probably assume he still needed it. It had only been a little while since he'd seen them.

"Fine. I'll go to the stupid festival." Danny surrendered, "Besides... I have to check in with Johnny and his shadow. I need to know if they found out anything."

Technus slapped Maddies cheek gently, stirring her awake. He helped her up and the mother shook her head in a daze.

"What just happened?" She asked glancing around her.

"You did exactly what I told you not to." Danny said with a disaproving frown.

Maddie gaped at him, looking over his body, remembering what had happened, "That didn't hurt at all?"

Danny shrugged, "Hurt less than losing my leg."

Noctunre gripped Danny's shoulder and pulled him back from the Specter Speeder.

"Come. We have a schedual to keep." The dream ghost told him sternly, "I will not be made late because of you."

Danny quickly waved for his family to follow before he was jerked off of the ground. He was dragged behind Nocturne like a child toward the festival. It was like Nocturne really thought Danny would ditch him and leave with his stupid medalion. Yeah. Like Danny wanted to look like _this _forever!

Danny fought for his freedom as he was pulled toward the merry making. He could see crowds of ghosts gathered near the trail of floating lanters. Some were familiar faces like Youngblood and Ember. But most were un-named spirits that just seemed to cause general mayhem. Danny wasnt even sure they had names at all.

Part of him was happy to see that the residence of the ghost Zone were actually able to have fun outside of plotting their revenge agaisnt him. Then again, fighting him was fun for most of them.

But it was still nice to see the other side of his enemies for once. Even if this was one giant waste of time.

"So what am I supposed to do while you're doing... Whatever it is you do?" Danny asked with a slightly annoyed frown.

"You will stay with me so I can keep an eye on you," Nocturne said without looking at him, "I expect you to be on your best behavior and to not embarass me."

"You act like I'm a little kid..." Danny mumbled.

"Compared to myself and my brother, you are."

Touche.

As they approached Danny's body went cold. Vortex and Undergrowth were both in view and talking to one another. And based on Nocturne's tragectory that's where they weere headed as well.

Perfect. Now he got to look like a baby in front of two more of his most powerful enemies!

"Ah, Nocturne. There you are." Undergrowth said with a smile, or at least it looked like one. He turned to greet the ghost of sleep and they exchanged a formal handshake.

"And who is this little whelp?" Vortex asked, eying Danny curiously, "I wasn't aware you had- WHEEZE- offspring."

Nocturne scoffed, "If I were related to this child I would not have been around this long. He is simply assisting me with the festival this year."

"Ah." Vortex said simply, sloshing whatever kind of drink he had in his hand before taking a drink.

Danny kept his eyes down, making no motion to any of them. Seperate they were hard to beat. Together they would be all but impossible. He had to lay low and not offend them.

"The observants allowed you to get help?" Undergrowth asked with a raised brow, "Since when?"

"Who says I asked their permission?" Nocturne asked back, "Those cyclopic bafoons know better than to tell me what to do."

"Still scared from that- WHEEZE- nightmare incident?" Vortex chuckled.

"I told them to stay out of my work." Nocturne said with a smirk.

Danny was fully out of the loop. It was so strange that all of his enemies knew eachother outside of their battles with him. And even more they were friends.

It made sense in a way. They had to be millenia old ghosts, probably some of the first. It only made sense that they knew one another. Heck, Undergrowth and Vortex could have been brothers! They looked pretty similar when put sidxe by side. If Clockwork and Nocturne could be brothers, it was possible. Even though the fraternity of Clcokwork and Nocturne still confused Danny.

"So you think I could get myself a little minion for the solstice?" Vortex asked, eyeing Danny with a smirk.

"I doubt anyone would volunteer to help you." Nocturne rebuttled.

Danny looked between them. It took a moment and he realised something. All three of the ghosts in front of him had the power to give some of their power to other beings.. Danny ahd learned first hand from Vortex and Sam had been taken over by Undergrowth during his attack on amity park. And now Nocturne was giving power to Danny.

Hell, even Clockwork was guilty of this to an extent. His time medalions give the wearer immunity from the effects of time.

"So, you have a name, little one?" Undergrowth asked him sudenly, snapping Dannt out of his thoughts.

Danny glanced up to Nocturne nervously. The ghost of sleep simply shrugged at him neutrally.

The boy exhaled and slumped his shoulders, "Danny..."

The ghosts of weather and plants were silent for a moment. They exchanged glances and look back at Danny.

"Danny _Phantom_?" They both asked in unison.

Danny slouched further, "Yes..."

The two exhanched another glance before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"Danny Phantom -WHEEZE- Nocturne's whipping boy?" Vortex roared, cluching his gut, "I was nrgy about our nasty meeting before but this makes it all better! AHAHA!"

"If I weren't seeing it I would not believe it!" Undergrowth laughed loudly, "How on earth did this come about?"

"Long story," Nocturne said passively, "In the mean time let's try and enjoy these last few hours, shall we?"

Danny flew out of the way as Vortex quickly moved to Nocturne's side with a grin. He grabbed the ghost of sleep by the arm and pulled him away. Danny stared at them for a moment, glacing up at Undergrowth who was mumbling something about Vortex being a lucky bastard.

Blowing it off, Danny followed after Nocturne an Vortex.

"Phantom, is that really you?"

Danny stopped mid-flight to make eye contact with Johnny 13.

"Johnny! Boy, am I glad to see you!" He sighed, sincerely glad to see a familiar face.

"You're working for Nocturne now? What, working for Walker wasn't bad enough?" Johnny asked, crossing his arms.

Kitty walked up behin dhim, putting her arms around his chest and looking over his shoulder at Danny. She looked him up and down, letting out a slow whistle.

"Looking good, Danny," She said in approval, "You should have joined the dark side sooner."

"Very funny," Danny said sarcastically, "Actually this is only temporary. This medalion made me like this," he graped the trinket to show them, "I'm doing this to help find Sam."

"Unfortunately, we haven't seen or heard anythin, little man." Johnny 13 told him glumly, "No one has any clue where your girl is."

Danny lowered his head slightly. He didnt think they would really find anything. They didnt have the right connections. But it was nice that they tried.

"Alright, I gotta ask, "Kitty started making Danny look back up at her, "What's up with the robo-leg?"

Danny blinked, "You're just now noticing?"

"No. We knew it was ther last time," She told him, "But, as ghosts, we tend to look past physical flaws. Once, your dead it doens't really matter what you look like. Why else would I not make Johnny cut his hair?"

"Hey!" The biker shouted in offence.

Danny gaped, "So that's why no one's said anything... Beside's vortex... But he was pretty angry at the time so he was using it as an insult." danny said thoughtfully.

"Ghosts tend to not notice imperfections... The not snobby ones anyway..." Johnny said with a shrug, "So anyway... How are you and your team doing? Any luck?"

"If you call getting attacked by a weakling ghost kid who told us to come get help from Nocturne luck, then yeah. We're great..." Danny rolled his eyes.

"Great!" Johnny beamed, "I'll see you later! if you're around meet up with us at the drink stand, we'll get a beer."

"I'm only 18." Danny stated with half lidded eyes.

"Yoou're in the Ghost Zone. Who cares?" Kitty asked with a smile and wink, "Die a little and have some fun."

"You mean, 'Live a little'." Danny corrected her.

"I know what I said." She retorted as she was dragged away into the crowd by Johnny.

Danny watched them go then looked around for Nocturne. He was about a hundred feet away, talking with Vortex about some unknown topic. But apparently it was hilarious. He was about to go over to join them when a flash of blue next to him made him turn his head.

Aaron Leon was floating next to him, tossing a blue ball of energy between his hands.

"Well, they were nice people." He stated offhandedly.

"What do _you _want?" Danny asked none too politely.

"Having fun yet?" Aaron asked, ignoring the question.

"I might have untill you showed up," The halfa told him rudely, "Why don't you just get lost?"

The blonde boy laughed lightly, "You know, danny, you're so sinical. Loosen up."

"I won't loosen up till you go away!" Danny said with a louder tone.

"That's enough, boys,"

Danny looked over his shoulder to see Nocturne towering over him. Aaron immediately backed off and flew away.

"You really should stop making enemies..." The dream ghost told Danny curtly, "It is going to get the rest of you killed one day."

"I can take care of myself," Danny retorted, "and since when do you care?"

"I don't. But we have a deal and you dying might cause problems for me." Nocturne said with a frown, "Now stop being a grouch and come on."

Danny was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled away. He looekd back to where the ghost kid had been and saw no trace of him.

Who was that kid?

**VERY light hint at NocturnexVortex for you Stormy Nights lovers out there. There won't be much more than that I just wanted to plug it in there for kicks xD**


	12. Festival

The sights...

The smells...

It was definately a summer festival. Everything was so lively and free. Dan could barely believe how many ghosts showed up to this glorified parade.

"Put your hood up,"

Dan looked beside him to see Clockwork making the motion of pulling a hood over his head. It was odd to see since his was already up. Dan reached back and grasped the hood of his dark cloak and pulled it up. Beside him, Sam did the same.

Dan had forced her to wear the disguise medalion to hide her from Danny. she now wore a purple dress and had the same hair style as before. She looked more mature this way. Danny would never recognise her. Dan had promised Clockwork that he would behave during this thing and fighting Danny would cause him to break that promise.

Dan wanted revenge but he didnt want it yet.

Slowly things were going back to the way they were between Dan and Clockwork. They exchanged quips every now and again and spoke politely but about nothing very important. Dan had decided that leaving Clockwork alone would probably help the situation more than bugging him constantly.

Although, it seemed sometimes like Clockwork liked the attention and pathetic please for forgiveness. Dan was happy to oblige after a while but eventually gave up on it and decided to preserve what little dignity the time keeper had let him keep. Dan had even stooped to cuddling to try and get back on Clockwork's nice side. Not that he minded. It was kind of nice... Degrading but nice...

On the other hand, now Dan could make a mean vegetable omlette.

The three made their way through the crowd, gripping eachother by the arms so they wouldnt get seperated. Dan already hated this. This was far too public for him. He had grown used to the solitude of the tthermos and the isolation of the tower. Being in crowds made him uncomfortable. But if this got him back on Clcokwork's good side for good, then he'd do it.

Dan wasn't sure why he wanted Clockwork to like him again but he always persued what he wanted. No matter how outrageous.

Dan stumbled out of the crowd behind the master of time, dragging Sam by the wrist behind him.

"Couldn't you have let us avoid that mess?" Dan asked, brushing himself off. He liked his temporay out fit and didn't want any ghost getting their ectoplasm on it.

He'd decided to go with the white shirt he had tried on first, oh how he loved that shirt, and a dark grey vest with black pants. He looked very classy, if he said so himself. And the cloak made him look mysterious.

"I could have avoided it, but that wouldn't have been as much fun," Clockwork said with a smirk, "Can you avoid complaining for a few hours?"

"I don't know. Can I?" Dan asked with a raised eye brow and a matching smirk.

The master of time made a motion of rolling his eyes, though it was hard to tell if he really was due to his lack of pupils.

"So, what does one do at one of these parties?" Sam asked, speaking up for the first time in an hour.

"We mingle, mostly," Clockwork shrugged, "I'm sure we'll find some one to talk to who wont freak out when they find out who I am."

"People freak out when they meet you?" Dan asked with a frown, "Why?"

"I'm the master of time. Most ghosts don't even think I really exist." Clockwork told him flatly, "And those that do compare me to a god. It's all quite flattering but it makes making friends difficult. Though it is better than the alternative."

"What's the alternative?" Sam asked with a tilt of her head.

"Ghosts could fear me," The time keeper explained,"My brother faces this problem regularly. Whenever some one meets him they immediately equate him with nightmares."

"That sucks..." Dan stated with a slight pout,"I didn't even know you had a brother."

"We are not brothers by the same standard as humans," Clockwork said, "Naturally I am the elder of us."

"Wait... People equate your brother with _nightmares_?" Sam asked witha strange tone in her voice, "Your brother wouldn't happen to be Nocturne would he?"

Clockwork didn't say anything but nodded a 'yes.'

Sam gasped, "Nocturne's your brother? But he's evil!"

Dan looked between them as Clockwork chuckled. Dan found it kin dof awkward that his former man crush was his current fling's brother. But I guess that helped Dan figure why he liked Clockwork too.

"Not evil, just misguided. That's what happens when you don't have parents. You're left to figure things out on your own," The ghost of time told her, "It only makes sence that one of us be slightly off our rocker."

Sam crossed her arms, "Off his rocker is right! He tried to put the entire world to sleep! Me included!"

Dan smirked, "I'm liking this guy more and more."

"Maybe you will actually meet him someday," Clockwork smiled, "In the meantime, let's just try and enjoy this shall we."

Dan stiffened slightly when Clcokwork took him by the arm and tugged him along. Sam was left to follow behind them.

"Does mean you're over the argument now?" Dan asked with a slight smirk.

Clockwork glanced up at him from under his hood, shifting from child to fully grown man.

"That all depends on what you'll do if I'm not." He told Dan with a clearly amused tone.

The kidnapping ghost scoffed, "More of your mind games I see."

"Have you known me to do anything else?" Clockwork asked, leaning against Dan's thick arm slightly.

Dan unwrapped his arm from Clockwork's and put it around the time master's shoulders lightly. He smiled briefly when it wasn't shrugged off like it had been the last time he tried, which was the day before.

"You are worried some one will see you?" Sam asked, joining them at Dan's side.

"None of these ghosts know who I am." Dan told her with a dismissive wave, "Besides if anyone says anything I'll knock them out."

"And I'll prevent you form doing so when you try," Clockwork added, pulling out of Phantom's grip, "But it probably is for the best that we keep intimate contact to a minimum here. You might draw the attention of your younger self."

Dan sighed, "Fine..."

The three looked to their left when a juvenile voice called out Clockwork's name. The blonde boy Dan had seen in the visions came through the crowd, shoving Ember aside. He bounded over and latched onto Clockwork happily.

"Hello to you too, Aaron," Clockwork chuckled, patting the boy on the back and changing to a frailer old man form.

Dan scowled at the little brat. This kid was helping to sell Dan out and now he had the audacity to run up and hug Clockwork in front of him?

"I did what you told me to," Aaron said giddily, "He doesn't suspect a thing!"

"Wonderful. But you probably should stop getting on his bad side," Clockwork said, pulling the pre-teen off of him, "You don't want him to hate you."

"I'm not trying to make him hate me. He thinks I was trying to attack him when I wasn't," The red eyed child said in his defence.

"He didn't know that your powers wouldn't hurt him," The Master of Time siad sternly, "YOu should have known better than to use them without warning. You startled him."

Aaron sighed, "You're right... Sorry, papa."

"PAPA?" Dan and Sam echoed one another.

Clockwork ran a hand over his old face, "Ugh..."

"Oops," Aaron giggled nervously.

"Why did he call you papa?" Dan asked with a glare.

"It's a term of endearment. After all I am considered _father _time." Clockwork said cooly. Dan was having a hard time figuring out if it was a lie.

"He does kind of look like you though..." Sam stated as she circled the boy, "He has your fashion sense."

"Because I work for him, "Aaron said smugly, "It's like a uniform. This look comes standard for time keepers."

"Mm-hm..." Dan hummed with narrow eyes, "And you just happened to pick "Papa" as the name you call your boss?"

"What I call my boss is my business," Aaron retorted.

"Aaron Leon, watch your tone," Clockwork warned him, "Your fake behavior is getting a little too believable."

"Sorry... I'm still in character..."Aaron smiled meekly.

Dan huffed and looked between the two purple cloaked ghosts, "I don't believe either of you for a second. But since I have nothing else to go on, I have no choice but to go with it."

"Good," Clockwork said with a bright smile, "Now that that is settled, let's go get something to drink. I'm parched."

The four of them made their way through the celebrating masses, across the large dancing platform where musicians were playing, and to the "food court".There were no tables but there were many floating stone platforms that ghosts could sit on and picnic. It was very humble.

Dan followed the time keeper as they headed for a cart manned by a generic green ghost. They eeach ordered a beverage, Beer for Dan, Wine for Clockwork and soda for Sam and Aaron. While drinking was okay for just about everyage in the ghost Zone, morally it was wrong to let preteens and pregnant girls have alcohol. especially ghost alcohol.

Ectohol was different from real world alcohol. It didnt haev the same effects as alcohol because it was made from fruit grown in the Zone by ghosts. It worked to calm and ease the mind. But it didnt come with the dilerium or bad headaches. It was more of a pain reliever than anything.

But it still wasn't safe for pregnant women. It could cause unfortunate defects in the child. Who knew what it would do to a mostly human child.

The four of them found a rock away from everyone else. Dan kept his distance from the runt and stuck to Clockwork's side like glue. It was hard to do both since the two kept getting swept away in conversation.

Then finally, Dan's silent prayers were answered.

"Aaron, why don't you go play." Clockwork suggested, "Go have some fun."

"Okay. See you later!" The boy chugged his soda quickly and flew away toward the crowd again.

"About time..." Dan grumbled.

"Don't hate him too much, Dan." The ghost of time said, "He doesn't mean any harm."

"Whatever.." The former halfa crossed his arms and glared off into the distance.

"Maybe you and Danny really are the same person," Sam mused with a smirk, "You have the same mood swings."

"I do not!" Dan snapped. He was quickly silenced by a purple gloved hand on his arm.

"Relax, Dan. What did I say about trying to enjoy the festival?" Clcokwork teased.

Dan growled in his throat and slouched in a huff. If people kept messing with him he'd end up hurting some one.

"You care way too much what people think of you..."

Dan looked beside him at the time keeper. He was smiling up at Dan kindly but it looked almost sympathetic.

"You try far too hard to be stronger than what you are. You're afraid to look weak." Clockwork observed.

Dan scoffed, "Weakness get's you killed. It's a luxury I can't afford. I've almost been destroyed once by it... Not again."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam asked with slight offence, "Mourning your lost loved ones is weakness to you?"

"No.. But wanting to take the easy way out of the hurt is." Dan replied coldly, "Danny tried to destroy me to be rid of his hurt. He split himself in an attempt to make it go away. It never would have worked. Vlad even knew it. But he agreed to do it."

Painfull memories rushed back into Dan's mind. He remembered it all like it were yesterday. And it still hurt just as badly. He could still hear the screams of his human half just before it faded away into nonexistance..

"I won't allow myself any more weakness. I will be stronger than everyone else and do anything in power to prove it." Dan said with a glare into the distance, "And I wont allow my life to be ruined any further by that little rat named-"

"Danny!"

Dan turned his head quickly to see Sam gaping at the distant crowd. He followed her gaze and sure enough. There was a ghost, a ghost covered in stars with claws and red eyes on his tanned face. His white hair was hanging flat against his back in a mess.

This boy looked like nothing Dan had ever seen but there was no mistaking his identity.

This was Danny Phantom.


	13. Festival Part 2

"Danny!"

"Oh, shit!" Dan swore as Sam lept up and bolted away.

"And it seemed like you two were really starting to get along..." Clockwork noted calmly.

"Oh, save it!" Dan hissed as he lept from the rock and raced after Sam.

He gained on her quickly, her human speed nothing compared to his. He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her side and stopped in mid air, about half way to the girl's target.

"Let me go!" She shrieked, flailing for freedom, "DA-!"

Dan covered her mouth quickly in panic. The goth bit down hard on his hand but he didn't let go. Instead he ducked back to float behind a rock as the halfa turned around briefly. He wasn't looking at them thankfully. He wasn't even aware of their presence. Instead he was striking up a conversation with the BoxGhost, who he looked happy to see for once.

Dan glowered at the teen angrilly. He was so close yet so far away. And why did he look like that? Was this a new fashion choice? Was he in disguise like Dan was? And if Dan could see right through his new look could Danny recognise him too?

Not taking any chances Dan towed Sam back over to the rock were Clockwork was casually sipping his wine like nothing had just happened. No doubt he knew that was going to happen and as usual gave Dan no warning.

"The HELL is wrong with you?" Dan shouted, forcing Sam back into a seated position.

"What? You think I would see Danny, the father of my child and my fiance, and _not _make a run for it?" She spat at him, "While poking fun at you is entertaining you're still my kidnapper and the guy who plans on _taking my child_!"

"But it's not _your _child is it?" Dan asked, placing his hands on his hips and leaning over slightly to look at her, "You're not even going to keep it. You don't _deserve _to call yourself it's mother."

"Just becuase we are planning on adopting the child out to another family doesn't mean I don't care about it!" Sam retorted, "And that doen't mean that _you _can have him either!"

Dan scoffed and took on a very Vlad-like tone, "Sam, my dear, I can have whatever I want."

The goth girl slared daggers at him, "Over my dead body."

"Well, after the the baby's born I wont have a use for you. So we'll see." Dan shrugged getting a wide eyed stare in return.

That shut her up.

"Dan that's enough," Clockwork said, standing, glass still in hand.

And, yes, he actually stood. Some how or another he managed to summon up his legs for only the second time that Dan had seen. Dan stared at them for a moment then looked to the time keeper's face.

"Whatever," He grumbled looking away after a moment.

Dan's face as gripped by gloved fingers and turned back to face Clockwork. He would have asked what he was doing but the master of time's mouth on his own silenced him.

it was amouch more forceful kiss than Dan was used to from Clockwork. It was rough and demanding... Like the ones Dan usually gave him. It was kind of hot. Dan put his arms around Clockwork's waist and pulled him completly against his chest possessivly.

This was more like it.

"Um, still sitting right here." Sam pointed out.

She was ignored as the kiss was parted for a moment.

"What was that for?" Dan asked with a smirk.

Clockwork smirked and pushed off of him slightly, "Getting you back in a good mood."

"Mission accomplished," Dan chuckled, resting his hands on the other male's hips.

"Guys! I am right here!" Sam annouced in slight disgust, "And you are still in public."

Dan watched as Clockwork cleared his throat and stepped away.

"So..." He started slowly, "We still have a few hours to kill so, what would you like to do?"

"Well what just happened is always an option," Dan joked with a light chuckle.

Clockwork chuckled, "No, I don't think so."

"There were people back there playing music." Sam suggested with a glum tone. She was clearly tired of being ignored and having her escape twarted.

"Wonderful suggestion," Clockwork smiled at her then back to Dan, "It won't kill you to get some culture."

"Well, seing as I _am _a ghost, it wont kill me at all," Dan quipped, "But fine, whatever. We'll go listen to the stupid music."

The master of time grabbed him by the forearm and pulled him along, gripping Sam by the wrist as well. The two were pulled back toward the crowd, an area away from Danny, and released once the musicians were in vew.

It was an old folk music time of song. There were no words and very few instuments. The tune was cheerful and upbeat with the use of drums and a weird type of flute. Whoever these ghosts were they were a few hundred years behind the times with their music.

"What do you think?" Clockwork asked, having to lean in so Dan could hear him over the bustling of the crowd.

"Needs more guitar," Dan shrugged, "You like this stuff?"

The master of time shrugged as well, "I don't really have a preference of music that I like."

"I like it," Sam stated, "It's classic."

Dan rolled his eyes, "So when does this shindig actually get fun?"

"Soon." Clockwork told him gently, "Just try and loosen up. You never know what you'll find here."

=DP=

"Box Ghost! How's the family?" Danny greeted his pathetic enemy politely. Anything to keep out of Vortex and Nocturne's conversation. The two were less than ten feet away and keeping a close eye on him.

The Box Ghost and his family approached slowly, obviously unsure if this was really Danny. The voice was the same but the all around look was different.

"What happened to you, deary?" The Lunch Lady asked suspiciously.

"Really long story," Danny laughed nervously. He spotted little Box Lunch and smiled, "Well, hello there!"

The baby girl looked up at him curiously. She was clearly facinated my how sparkly he was due to all of the stars covering his body. Danny waved his fingers up and down at her and she made a similar motion to mimick him.

"I'm surprised she likes you so much," The new mother said with a light smile, "Normally she starts screaming when we get her too close to tother ghosts."

"Well, I'm just awesome like that," Danny said jokingly.

"Who's this, Danny?"

The boy turned as his mother approached, the rest of their party off getting something to eat.

"Mom, this is The Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady with their new baby Box Lunch. Guys this is my mom," Danny introduced them quickly, feeling slightly awkward about introducing his enemies to his mother.

"Hello," Maddie said with a chipper smile. Danny could see her eye barely twitching. She was clearly fighting off the urge to snap and waste some ghosts.

"A human?" Box Ghost asked tilting his head slightly, "Why-"

"Also part of that really long story," Danny interupted, "The short version is: An evil ghost kidnapped my pregnant fiance and now we're trying to get her back."

"Aw! You're having a baby?" The Lunch Lady asked sweetly, "Now our children can grow up AND BATTLE ONE ANOTHER FOR WORLD DOMINATION! Or, you know, get together for a play date..."

Danny nodded once, "Uh-huh... Right..."

"Danny, sweety, that hooligan-er, Johnny is looking for you," Maddie told him nervously.

She had remembered who Johnny was briefly after seeing him last time. She wasn't happy that Danny was now on semi-good terms with him but she would have to deal. The fewer ghosts agaisnt her son the better.

"Thanks mom. Why dont you stay here and exchange mothering tips with Lunch Lady here," Danny smiked, thumbing behind him to the couple.

"Oh, I don't think"- Maddie started hesitantly.

"What a lovely idea, deary!" The green skinned woman agreed, grabbing Maddie by the arm, "We can get some lunch and talk!"

Danny laughed as his mother was dragged away. He turned to the box ghost and gave a pleasent goodbye before he flew off after his wife. Danny glanced back at Nocturne, seeing him fully wrapped up in a conversation with Vortex still, and headed off toward the drink cart to find Johnny.

"There you are!" The greasy blonde called out to him, waving his arm so Danny could spot him in the crowd. He was off to the side of the cart leaning on his bike with Kitty sitting on it.

Danny smiled and walked over, "Hey, Johnny. Hi, Kitty."

"Saw you talking to the Box Ghost. Doing charity work?" Kitty asked jokingly.

"Nah. I figure if I talk to him enough he'll stop trying to be evil and stop harassing my town," Danny told her.

Johnny scoffed, "Yeah, sure."

The biker pushed off of his bike to stand upright. He put a casual arm over Danny's shoulder and pulled him over to the drink stand.

"Two pints," Johnny said to the ghost behind it with a smile.

"I'm not so sure about this.." Danny said as the two tall mugs of beer were passed over to them.

"Relax, kid," Johnny told him as he grabbed his drink, "It won't kill you."

Danny watched him take a large drink of the alco- erm, ectoholic beverage. Know knew how many he already had. He didnbt look drunk at least...

Danny took a nervous sip of his beer, finding it acutally pretty refreshing. It didn't taste half bad either.

**(A/N: I do **_**not **_**advocate underage drinking. Ghost Zone laws are not like ours)**

"There you go, little man!" Johnny 13 laughed, slapping the halfa on the back and pulling him back over by the bike and Kitty.

Danny smiled halfheartedly and took a larger drink. Kitty hopped from the bike and sat beside Johnny on the ground.

"Where's your shadow?" Danny asked, looking around.

"He's around." Johnny shrugged, "I give him a break every now and then."

"How generous of you..." Danny said flatly, taking another drink.

"So you and the gloomy girl are engaged, huh?" Kitty asked with a smile, "When did this happen?"

"My birthday." Danny said, fond and painful memories coming back from that day, "Right after everyone left."

"That's so sweet!" The green haired girl cooed, "And when is the wedding?"

"We... Still need to work all of that out..." Danny answered slowly, glancing around nervously, though no one could tell because his eyes were now solid red.

"Well, when you do, I want an invitation," Kitty told him smugly, "I'll have to see it to believe it."

Danny laughed, "I'll put you on the list."

The day... or night... whatever time of day it was... continued like this. Danny hung out with Johnny and Kitty for a few hours, Nocturne hovering over his shoulder constantly. The ghost of dreams seemed convinced that Danny would run away with his amulet at at minute.

What would Danny do with it if he did? Auction it off on Ebay?

Danny looked above him at the "sky" of the ghost zone as soft pelets of water began to fall over the festival.

Rain? In the Ghost Zone?

"Looks like it's time." Johnny said, grunting slightly as he stood.

"Indeed it is," Nocturne said, appearing behind Danny, "Let's go, ghost boy."

Danny turned to him seeing an almost pleasent look on his face. Nocturne must enjoy this part of his job. Imagine the energy he got from putting so many creatures to sleep.

Danny looked slightly behind Nocturne to see Vortex lounging casually in mid air. He was glowing slightly, indicating that the odd weather was his fault. It wasn't mad thankfully. A little chilly but not bad.

Danny pushed off of the ground and floated up beside Nocturne.

"Let's get this party started."


	14. Beauty

First there was rain. A gentle rain that misted over the celebrating ghosts, and two humans, dampening them slightly. It was the kind of rain one didn't mind to walk in on a cool summer day. The refreshing kind that just seemed to calm you.

Then came the snow. It merged with the rain and pure, white snow flakes began to wisp around the spectators. It created just enough of a chill to make one shivver but not enough to be unpleasent.

Danny watched as Vortex worked his magic. It was presumably a warm up exercise for him. Like streatching before running a marathon. Changing the weather all over the world would require precision.

But for an evil, psycotic weather ghost, Vortex knew how to make a good display.

Danny looked up, allowing the cool rain to land on his face and the snow to melt on his skin. He closed his eyes for a moment to let out a slow breath.

Danny reopened his eyes when he felt a new sensation. It was like feathers falling on his face. He blinked as blue dust fell in his eyes. It was the same blue dust he'd thrown at his mother a few hours before but it seemed... different.

It didnt make him tired. Maybe it was the medallions doing.

Danny looked up and saw Nocturne forming a ball of the blue energy in the palms of his clawed hands. He was staring at it intently as it grew in size, some of the dust drifting away of it's own accord from the light wind Vortex was producing. He seemed in a trance.

Danny looked around for Undergrowth, figuring he was getting warmed up as well. Danny couldn't find him but saw that some trees had spontaniously sprouted throughout the festival.

"Looks like some one was couldn't wait for us..." Vortex scoffed quietly, "Well, Nocturne, let's get this over with. "

Danny watched as Nocturne slowly allowed his ball of energy to dissapate around him, floating weightlessly outward onto the crowd of onlookers. The ghost of sleep turned to the young halfa and gave a quick jerk of his head before flying away toward a newly opened portal. Danny got the message and followed him.

He watched the crowd below as shimmering blue dust trailed over the onlookers. It was like something Danny had seen in Peter Pan only less fairy like. That mixed with the snow made the scene look truely magical.

"Why did you guys do all of this?" Danny found himself asking as they followed the trial of lanters toward the exit to the human world.

"A simple warm up," Nocturne told him, "And granting the ghosts peace before we head off. The last thing we need while changing the seasons is a rampant ghost attack."

Danny smiled around him, giving a slight wave to his mother as he flew over head. Unlike most of the ghosts she looked tired from the dust. Her and Tucker alike. As they flew Danny caught a glimpse of Walker and Spectra seated together, just talking.

Danny jumped slightly as Vortex ripped through the air beside him, embracing his freedom. He did flips over head, sending surges of new weather off in different made Danny wonder what Vortex was going to do after the festival ended. Would h go back to terrorizing the earth? Would he just slip into hiding again? Or would the observants come after him again and take him back to their prison?

"Vortex, let's go!" Nocturne ordered, floating beside the open portal, "We don't have all day."

"Sorry -WHEEZE- Nocturne." Vortex apologized, soaring through the portal quickly, the ghost of sleep following close behind.

Danny glanced behind him again, the steady rain and snowfall still in full effect. A think layer of ice had begun to form on the floating stones and platforms, creating areas where ghosts and ghost children could play.

For a moment, Danny though he had spotted Clockwork in the crowd. The purple cloak stood out like a beacon. But when the figure kissed another ghost Danny figured it couldnt have been him. Clockwork could never have ended up in a relationship. How could he? He ruled time! Only a ghost immune to time could be with him and have a lasting relationship.

Danny yelped in surprise when he was suddenly jerked backward through the portal. He landed on his backside roughly in a grass clearing just before the swirling green gateway closed. Danny stood and dusted himself off quickly.

"If you get distracted like that again I _will _leave you behind," Nocturne told him sternly, "Now pay attention."

The self proclaimed kind of dreams pushed through some bushes to reveal a small hollow in a rock formation where some sleeping animals of an unknown breed to Danny could be seen.

Nocturne looked back to the boy, "Consider this your tutorial."

danny watched intently, taking mental notes as the ghost of sleep worked his magic.

=**DP**=

Dan had to admit, it was beautiful in it's own way. The mix of the rain and Snow had a soothing effect. Amazingly the fact that it was snowing didnt make the rain any colder than it was. The two were seperate yet together. The rain fell along side the snow flakes but they didnt touch and they didnt interfere with the other.

It was a coexistance dan had never witnessed.

"Just goes to show that two things, no matter how different, can exist in peace," Clockwork stated calmly, as rain gently misted his blue skin.

Dan turned to him with a very slight frown. Was Clockwork being cryptic as usual or was that just casual conversation?

"Is that one of thoe double meaning things?" Sam asked, voicing Dan's thoughts.

The master of time chuckled in his throat, "It was just an observation. You can take it however you wish."

Surprisingly, Sam smiled and looked up to the sky. Her eyes were beginning to droop, her weaker human senses beginning to fall victim to the dream dust. Being ghosts, Dan and Clockwork had greater resistance. That and the fact that Clockwork was some how immune.

Dan tensed slightly when he felt something brush his hand. He pulled it back before looking to see that it had seen Clockwork's own reaching for him. The master of time didn't look offended, thankfully. He just held up a gloved hand to Dan.

With a slight sigh, Dan placed his palm over the other Ghosts, allowing it to fall back to his side. It was wierd holding hands with Clockwork but not entirely unpleasent.

"There's Danny..." Sam stated sleepily, pointing upward.

Dan looked up to see Nocturne fly over head toward the portal. and shortly after came the boy wonder himself. He was too facinated by the scene to see them thankfully. That and Vortex was distracting enough for everyone.

Phantom watched as the halfa stopped just outside the portal, watching the ghosts of weather and dreams go through. He turned back wuth a faint smile, watching the crowd. Dan feared for a moment that he would be spotted. He wasn't wearing anything over his face so Danny would surely recognise him.

Dan swallowed as Danny's eyes fell in their direction. Dan wasn't sure if he had been seen and looked beside him. Clockwork stood there, smiling like always. Then it hit Dan that Clockwork stood out like a sore thumb. He was the only one in their vicinity wearing that much purple.

"Shit!" Dan whispered.

Doing the first thing he could think of to throw Danny off he grabbed clockwork by the collar and kissed him, turning his face away from the halfa's sight. Clockwork grunted in protest, attempting to push Dan off of him. The latter kept his eyes open, watching Danny as he shrugged and looked away. It worked.

"Dan what has gotten into you?" Clockwork asked, shoving the taller ghost away, but not too forcefully.

Dan didn't answer as he watched Danny get pulled through the portal suddenly and disapere.

"Whew! He's gone..." Dan sighed, releasing Clockwork and relaxing.

He put down his hood and hand his hands through his hair cooly, allowing water to fall on his head. He looked beside him and saw Sam beginning to nod off and grabbed her by the shoulder before she tipped over.

"Perhaps we should go back to the tower?" Clockwork suggested with a gentle smile.

Dan shook his head, "Nah. I'd rather stay here for a while. It kind of feels nice getting some fresh air." He glanced at the many ghost saround him, "As long as it's not this crowded."

Clockwork laughed and grasped Dan's hand, "Come on. Let's go some where less crowded then."

Dan picked Sam up and carried her under his arm as he followed Clockwork away. He watched their feet, making sure not to step on any toes as they made their way through the crowd. Dan placed his feet inches behind Clockworks to be safe. Dan had a feeling that Clockwork was using his legs for this reason specifically. Dan could have just used his own ghostly tail but he prefered having legs. One of the side effects of having been human once.

Clockwork pulled him far away from the crowd to a distant stone and tugged Dan down to sit beside him. Dan did so and set Sam beside him to sleep on the edge. She was out like a light.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Clockwork asked suddenly, gazing around at the snow fall. It seemed to glow from the light of the lanterns.

"Yeah..." Dan agreed quietly.

It was pretty magnificent to see. Nothing like this happened in the Ghost Zone regularly.

Dan turned to the ghost beside him and looked him over silently. Clockwork was simply amazing. Not only was he the most powerful ghost to have ever existedm, he wasn't mad on the eyes either. A few weeks ago dan would have hated to admit that Clockwork was actually one handsom ghost. His body was trim and fit, his features were chisled and he always carried a cool, collected attitude, no matter what the situation was. He was perfection.

And those eyes. Sure, other ghosts had red eyes but nothing like this. Other ghosts eyes held desires, greed, anger, envy... Clockwork's eyes only seemed to ever be pure of everything. They just seemed so.. hopeful. Maybe it was because he knew that things would always work themselves out in the end.

Even when he was upset with Dan, Clockwork's eyes never seemed to lose that gleam. That gleam that always seemed to win Dan over. That shine that put him in a trance everytime he looked into those ruby eyes.

Hesitantly, Dan reached out and took Clockwork's hand in his. The monster of time looked down at the motion them back up to his face. His body turned to face Dan a bit more, his legs shifting to a tail so he could be more comfortable.

"Yes?" He asked looking up at Dan from under his hood.

Dan searched his head for words. He knew there was something he wanted to say he just didn't know the words to put to his emotions. Even when he was younger, still Danny Fenton, he could never express his feelings.

"Clockwork I..." He sighed as the words faded.

"It's okay," The purple cloaked ghost told him, "You can talk to me."

Dan locked eyes with him then. That strange feeling in the pit of his stomache returned and the emotions whirlled inside him again. It seemed then that he knew exactly what he wanted to say he just had to find the right words.

He took a deep breath and started, "Clockwork, I know I've been an ass. And I would have been angry at me too for what I said and the things I've done. And I've done some pretty horrible things..." He paused and continued when all he got from the other ghost was an expectant stare, "I know nothing can make up for the things I've done but given the chance I wouldn't change them... And I know how bad that sounds."

Clockwork chuckled slightly but said nothing.

Dan continued, "The truth is, if I had never become the master I am now, if I had never done those horrible things... I wouldn't have gotten to this point. And Sitting here, in this amazing moment with you made all that suffering worth while..."

Clockwork smiled up at him with a slightly twinkle. Dan could havesworn he saw a ghost of a tear on the edge of his eye.

Dan reached up with his free hand and pushed the hood of Clockwork's cloak away, revealing his neatly combed hair. He ran his hand through the soft locks tenderly, the time keeper leaning into his touch slightly.

Now to seal the deal.

"I may not ever be able to be the good guy you would probably like me to be..." He admitted quietly, gripping Clockwork's other hand, "But at least when you're around I can feel like I'm whole again... I feel like, maybe I have a purpose when I'm with you.. And I dont know if it's just the moment talking, but I dont want this to go away. I _never _want this to go away."

Dan pulled the other to him, wrapping his arms around him protectively. Clockwork said nothing but completed the embrace.

"I'm sorry..." Dan finally said, actually meaning the words this time, "I'm sorry for everything."

"I know you are." Clockwork told him with a kind smile, "And I forgive you."

The master of time leaned his head up to kiss Dan on the lips. Dan returned it gently, tilting his head a bit. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but enough of a kiss to say to the other "I care".

As it was parted and Clockwork leaned his head on Dan's shoulder the snow came to a halt and the rain faded away, leaving a light fog in it's place.

Clockwork sighed contently, his spectral tail wrapping around Dan's legs securely. Dan changed to his own tail and did the same. It was by far one of the strangest, yet romantic things Dan had ever done.

"I love you..."

"I know you do, Clockwork. I know..."

**For once Dan get's to say "I know". LOL **

**You dont have to review but I would greatly appreciate it.**

**And I'm not sure if I should write the "dream" clockwork was having in chapter eight or for the sake of writing rated M stories but just to know what he saw. I think it would be interesting to know what he was seeing but it wouldn't be for slash haters/dislikers or for the young. There will be smut involved if I do write it. My first guy/guy smut. so tell me what you think!**


	15. Dusting

**Thanks so much to the readers for the reviews!**

"THIS IS SO AWESOME! Wooohoo!"

Danny sored through the night sky, flipping and twirling, shooting of dream dust at verious animals as he passed them. His hair whipped wildly in the wind as he raced over the tree tops. It was such an odd feeling to be this completely free. And the fact that he was shooting dust and random woodlen creatures made it entertaining too!

He dove down over a river to fly just above the surface. It was dark so he couldn't see his reflection but he could see the glow of his red eyes and a slight white outline of himself. Come to think of it, he probably blended in with the sky from below. But the tranquility of the water just seemed to make Danny feel at peace, How it flowed without a single ripple.

Danny lowered a hand to run his fingers through the cold water just before flying back up beside his self proclaimed 'master'. Nocturne really let his job go to his head...

"Having fun?" The ghost of sleep asked with an amused tone.

Danny smiled up at him, "Are you kidding? This is amazing! I've never felt this free before!"

Nocturne chuckled, "I suppose this is quite the detour from your usual hero antics."

The halfa sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, "You have no idea. I'm always flying some where to save some one from something that could potentially destroy the world. I'm too busy fighting to keep my head above water to ever just float and relax for a while."

The boy dropped his hands to dangle below him and glanced up to see the master of time smiling at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," Nocturne told him, "It just seems that now you're getting a better understanding of why so few of us decide to play the hero. It's far too demanding."

"And this job isn't?" Danny asked arching a brow, "You're the ghost of sleep. If you decided to take a day off, who knows what would happen!"

Nocturne laughed, "Actually, ghost boy, It is quite the opposite. I control all dreams and sleep by simply existing. As long as I exist sleep will occur."

"So what happens if you dissapere?" Danny asked with childlike curiousity.

"Then the creatures on this planet would never sleep, therefore would eventually die out from sleep deprevation." Nocturne explained with a shrug, "But the odds of me every truely disapering are very slim."

The teen hummed in his throat thoughtfully, "Is it the same for Clockwork? Do his powers work like yours?"

"Basically," The master of dreams said blandly as he slowed to a stop, "His duties are much more demanding than mine. I only focus on the sleeping population of the world. He has to watch over all of it and make sure nothing happens that would drastically change the course of fate. That is why he does not dream. He must never shirk from his duties."

"So he pretty much controls life as we know it..." Danny stated with a blink.

The two lowered themselves though the trees under them to land on the ground. This wasnt their first stop so Danny knew the drill at this point.

"Something like that,"Nocturne said after a moment of thought, "He only seriously acts when he deems it nessessary. Most of the time he just stays locked in that old tower of his. I haven't seen the ghost in ages."

"You haven't?" Danny asked with a frown as his feet landed in the grass, "But he's your brother!"

Nocturne frowned at nothing in particular, "Yes, well, he's far too busy to speak with me most of the time so I leave him to his viewing... things... Poor man.."

"'Poor'? He's the master of time! What's bad about that?" Danny furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Haven't you been paying attention at all?" Nocturne asked, "He watches over all stands of time in every reality. You think some one like that has ever had time to make friends or have any kin dof a relationship at all?"

"You mean, he's been single literally forever?" Danny gaped at the taller ghost.

"Even more so, he's been alone forever." Nocturne added, "He spends all of his time watching others live their lives and is forced to sit on the sidelines. I pity him. I truely do."

His tone was more bitter than sad for the words. Danny found it unfortunate that two brothers were this distant and hadn't spoken in years. Nocturne spoke about Clockwork as if he barely knew him and they were created together! They were family!

Was this what life in the Ghost Zone did? Or was that what being masters of things like sleep and time did?

Now Danny felt bad for Clockwork.

"What about you?" Danny asked Nocturne as the ghost put a squirrel to sleep.

"What _about _me?" Nocturne countered.

"Does your job keep you secluded like that too?"

Nocturne turned to face him with a frown. He stared at Danny silently for a moment, his expression contemplative.

"My life is lonely in a different sense," He finally answered, "I have relationships, but to most I exist only in their dreams."

"Vortex and Undergrowth, are they your friends?" Danny asked with the hint of a smile.

"Undergrowth is more of a... collegue... Vortex, however, is a great friend of mine," Nocturne smiled fondly at the storm ghost's name.

"Friend or 'Friend'?" Danny asked using quote fingers.

The smile quickly disapered and Nocturne glared at him, "Just a friend."

"I was 'just friends' with Sam once," Danny teased. When Nocturne growled he put his hands up in front of his face in defeat, "Okay, okay. I'll stop."

"Good." The ghost of sleep said curtly, "Now go put something to sleep. But make it quick. It's starting to snow."

Danny looked up at the sky and saw white flakes of ice beginning to fall. They were running out of time. Luckily they didn't have to do _everything _on their own. The sleepwalkers were making this emensly easier for them to get this all done.

But this was definately going to take a _really _long time.

Danny kicked off the ground and flew up into the trees to look in the holes for small animals. He gathered some of the dream dust in his hands like he'd been told and with dusted them with care. The small creature's eyes flutted shut and they curled around one another to fall asleep for the winter.

Danny repeated this several times just in that forest. He felt like he'd been covering the whole forest but he'd really only done half. Nocturne was hard at work doing the other half. It was a tedious task for sure. Danny couldn't imagine how Undergrowth was faring and Vortex seemed to be the one with the easiest job. He could change the weather all over the world in a few hours. He proved it several times according to the observants.

After doing this for what seemed like forever, Danny had a moment to stop for a breather. This job took a lot out of a ghost! No wonder Nocturne got drained so fast! Danny now had a much better understanding of why Nocturne wanted to put the whole world to sleep. That would make this SO much easier!

"Tired?"

Danny looked behind him to see Nocturne holding what looked like a sleeping rabbit in his hands. The halfs furrowed his brow in confusion and stood up straight to turn to him.

"What's with the rabbit?" Danny asked pointing to the long eared animal.

Nocturne stroked the white fur gently as he moved past Danny.

"It was this one's time..."

Danny blinked with wide eyes, "You mean it's... Dead?"

"Not yet." Nocturne told him glumly, "But soon."

Danny watched as the millenia old ghost dug a shallow hole and placed the rabit inside it. He gathered some blue dust in his clawed fingers and sprinkled it over the weak animal.

"What are you doing to it?" Danny asked, walking closer.

"Bringing it peace," Noctunre said simply, "Another thing my powers can be used for. I send the weak or nearly dead into a place where they can be happy before they pass on. Those are some of the happiest dreams that ever exist..."

Danny watched as the rabbit's breathing slowed. It made him wonder if he would have to go through the same thing when it was his time.

"Death is another part of life, Danny Phantom," Nocturne said, as if reading his thoughts, "It is just another part of the journey that every human has to take. I advise you to make the most of it while you can."

Danny looked up at the star covered ghost in confusion, "I dont understand... Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I was sent a message from my brother not long ago." Nocturne told him, "He told me your destiny and that you would inevitably come to me for help finding your fiance."

"Clockwork told you that? When was this?"

The ghost of sleep and dreams thought for a moment, "How long ago were you in your coma?"

Danny gaped. Nocturne had known that long? But why would Clockwork send a message to Nocturne about this? Why not let the events play out on their own? And id they hadn't actually spoken in ages how did Nocturne get the message?

Danny mentally slapped his forehead.

That ghost kid! He's the one who told Danny to go to Nocturne and seemed to know where Danny would be before he did! He _must _have been working for Clockwork! Their fashion sense was pretty similar that's for sure!

But why during his coma? Why not any time sooner?

Wait...

That dream...

That vision of his future that Danny had gotten while he was out.

"That was you!" He blurted out loud.

"Excuse me?" Nocturne asked with a frown.

Danny pointed a shocked finger at him, "You sent me that dream while I was in my coma! You're the reason I woke up!"

Nocturne chuckled, "How perceptive, ghost boy. Perhaps you are not as thick as you appear."

The ghost of sleep moved around to face Danny.

"Yes, I fabricated that dream based on what I was told by my brother." Nocturne admitted, "While it is slightly acurrate some of it was of my own creativity. We can't have you knwoing your own future."

"But why? Why send me that dream?" Danny asked, his curiosity about to explode within him.

"You are far too important to this world to die, Daniel," Nocturne stated, using Danny's actual name, "And to stay in that coma would have inevitably killed you. Your life effects mine as well. It effects every one around you. The life of your parents, your friends, your bride-to-be and even your unborn son."

"You know it's a boy?" Danny asked with a blink.

"I know far more than that," Nocturne admitted, "That is why I agreed to help you. Because your desisions effect my family. My brother greatly needs you to continue your heroics. If only to make him happy for once."

Daniel frowned, "All of this will effect Clockwork? But why-... Do you know who Sam and I give the baby to?"

Nocturne didn't answer. He turned away and lifted off of the ground to fly to a new area. Danny pushed off and followed closely behind him.

Clearly, he was not going to get any answers this way. And now Danny was more determined than ever to find Sam. If that dream held any truth about his future than Danny wanted to make sure he didn't miss out on any of it.

**How do you like that? Nocturne's been in on it the whole time! Who would have guessed?**


	16. The Hurt

"So this Aaron kid... How did he come to work for you again?"

Clockwork sighed as the three entered the tower. Dan tossed the limp form of Sam onto her bed and followed Clockwork onto the viewing platform.

"Dan, I've already told you. His parents allowed him to." He told The ghost, obviously growing frustrated.

Dan smirked, "And you're letting a kid work for you because...?"

"Would you have suspected him?" Clockwork asked over his shoulder.

Dan frowned, "I made the connection between the two of you. Besides, isn't having a kid maintain the timeline a bad idea?"

The master of time frowned switching from an old man form to a child, "I take offence to that."

Dan rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean."

"Dan, just let it go." Clockwork said in a bored tone as he turned away, "I'm done talking about this."

"One more question?" Dan prodded on.

"Ugh... Fine." Clockwork groaned.

Dan thought for a moment about the proper way to word the question. Not that it mattered. Clockwork knew what he was going to ask... That was probably why he was so frustrated with this argument.

"Why him?" Dan asked, not bothering to hide his curiosity, "Out of all of the ghosts in the world, why this one? Why not Danny? Wouldn't he be better equiipped for the job than some preteen punk with next to no powers?"

Clockwork shook his head, "Danny has far too much on his plate as it is. I didn't want to add another chore to his list."

"That doesn't answer the question though..." Dan pressed, walking up beside the other ghost, "Is there something I need to know about this kid?"

The ghost of time just laughed, "Dan, Dan, Dan... There's a lot you should know about this kid."

Dan frowned as Clockwork floated away from him and over to one of the viewing mirros to watch some event from the revolutionary war.

"You aren't going to tell me anything?" Dan asked, growing annoyed.

"No. I don't think so. " Clockwork hummed as he shifted through events and ages, "What timeline do you want to watch today?"

"Don't care," Dan huffed, falling onto the couch he'd put in the viewing room. He may as well be comfortable while Clockwork bored him to death.

Dan didn't talk about where he got it but the people who had it before now had a serious lack of seating.

"Middle ages it is." Clockwork said in a chipper voice floating backward to sit at Dan's side.

Almost instantly he had a bowl of popcorn in his hands and offered it to the other man. Dan sighed in defeat and took a handfull, tossing a few pieces in his mouth at a time. The screne in front of them showed a battle of some kind. Dan smirked as he saw one of the soldiers get stabbed.

This was their version of TV and some of this stuff was better than than the silver screne.

"So..." Dan started slowly, "What exactly was Danny doing with Nocturne and why did he look like that?"

Clockwork groaned and slouched into the back of the couch, "Can't we ever have a quiet moment where you _dont _ask me about things I'm not allowed to tell you?"

Dan frowned, "Well, excuse me for being curious. And what harm will come from telling me? You let the L word slip and the universe didn't implode on itself."

"Telling you I love you and telling you something that could change the events of this entire timeline you're in is different." Clockwork explained, "Telling you what Danny is doing may cause you to take action that would change the current course of time."

"And where exactly is that course headed?" Dan asked with a smirk, lazily sliding his arm around Clockwork's shoulders.

The other male chuckled, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Sam stirred on her bed with a loud groan. She sat up, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Where am I? What happened?" She asked looking around her in a daze, "I'm back in the tower?"

"YOu fell asleep at the festival and Dan carried you home," Clockwork told her with a smile, "I would have tucked you in but you looked so content."

Sam stood and streatched her arms tirely, "How long was I out?"

"A few hours maybe," Dan shrugged, "You missed us making out. It was great."

Sam made a disgusted face and Clockwork covred his face with one hand in embarassment. It didnt actually happen but Dan just felt like poking fun and getting some cheep laughs at their expense.

"Okay, next time, don't tell me." Sam said, fully grossed out.

"What? You were the one who kept trying to push us together," Dan stated slyly, "Don't like the fruits of your labor?"

Clockwork elbowed Dan in the side to silence him.

"That's enough," He told him sternly.

Dan pouted slightly, "Kill joy."

Sam walked over and plopped down onto the couch on the oppoite side of Clockwork as Dan. She glared into the image of the battle intently as if she wanted to light it on fire. Dan watched her for a moment, waiting for her to say something. When she didn't speak he looked away.

"You're a bastard."

Dan turned again to look at her, "Excuse me."

She glared daggers ar him, "You heard me."

Dan just grabbed more popcorn. He glanced at Clockwork and saw that he didnt even seem to pay attention. This was probably another one of those times when he wasn't supposed to interfere.

Sam growled in frustration, "You don't even seem to care that you're ruining my life! You're just going to keep me here, cut off from the world and alone, until the baby's born! Then you'll throw me back into the real world like a fish!"

"Would you prefer I kill you?" Dan asked cooly but with a frown.

"You're going to take my baby! You're going to turn it againt it's own father because you can't let go of the past and let go! I'd rather die than see that happen to my baby!" Sam roared, hopping up to stand in front of him, fists clenched at her sides, "You don't even pretend to have a heart or care about this child at all! You wouldn't know what to do with a baby if it told you! You'll kill it before it can speak!"

Dan glared at her, "Says you."

The goth scoffed, "You think you can take care of it? Tell me one time when you've taken care of some one else. Not because you had to but because you wanted to. Give me one shred of proof that you care about anyone but yourself."

That was it. Suddenly dan had a few things he wanted to say to the girl. And she was going to listen.

Dan rose and loomed over the girl, "I could have killed you on the spot when I attacked the fenton house both times. I could have killed you all. I let you live because I've already seen you die once. Four years trapped in a thermos, cut off from the world, made me realise that I didn't want you to die at all. That it wasn't your fault what happened to me."

Sam blinked up at him but her glare didnt completly go away.

"I'm taking that child not only because it would hurt Danny, but because you were going to cast it out just like Danny tried to do to me." Dan said angrilly, "I was ripped from my human half becuase Danny didn't want me anymore. And just like me, You and Danny don't want this kid so you're getting rid of it on some one else. If anything I'm _saving _this child."

"No... That's not true!" Sam said in her defence, a mixture of anger and hurt in her voice, "That's not what we're doing! And that's not why Danny split himself in your past!"

"No? Then what other reason is there?" Dan asked rhetorically, "His ghost powers ruined his life so he wanted to get rid of them. This child could ruin his life so he's getting rid of it! If anything I'm doing you both a favor! And saving the kid from a lifetime of loneliness when you give him to some undeserving couple!"

"And what makes you think _you _deserve him?" Sam snapped back, "You've done nothing but hurt people since you were created! Who's to say you wont hurt the baby when you get angry with it?"

"Because I'm the father too, Sam!" Dan spat thumbing toward himself, "That kid is just as much mine as Danny's and you know it! I may not have concieved it but it's DNA is mine."

Sam gaped, "N-No!"

"I have more of a right to the kid as Danny does and if it comes with me it won't have to live a lie like I did." Dan hissed remembering the last fight with Danny, "I never even got to know my real father..."

It hurt to think about all the years he'd lost because of what he'd become and what had happened to him. Maybe if his family hadn't died they would have told him about Technus eventually too. Maybe he would have been able to have that relationship with his biological father that Danny had.

But it was too late now. Tecnus had already told Dan that he wasn't his son. He hated Dan and attacked him, knowing that they were blood.

It was a vicious circle with Dan.

"Dan, I... I had no idea..." Sam said slowly.

Dan turned from her, "No. You didn't. You never really understood, did you? I've always been nothing but the bad guy to you ,and you never once stopped to consider why..."

He glanced over at the goth to see her lower her head sadly.

"All the books I've read about darkness and dispair..." She started, "I guess it's all just been stories until now. I never realised how real it could be..."

Dan frowned, "It's real alright. And I had to deal with it for 10 years. Then an extra four inside that stupid soup container!"

"Dan, I am so sorry..." Sam said almost pathetically, "When Danny told me all of the things you said during your last fight, I just thought you were playing some kind of mind game with him.. I never imagined you were _really _that hurt by it."

"I saw my whole family die, Sam. My mom, my dad, my sister, and my two only friends. All gone!" Dan hissed at her, "I had nothing left to live for. Of course it hurt."

Dan's eyes were beginning to burn as he spoke. But he refused to allow any tears to form.

"I am so sorry..." Sam stated sadly, "No one deserves to go through what you've been through. But you're dealing with it the wrong way. Write it down, get a punching bag, get thereapy... Anything but hurt people!"

"Hurting people is the only way they notice you in the end. The people who hurt others are the ones who live," Dan said flatly, "Look at all the great leaders and revolutionaries. The people who do good get abused, chastised, exiled, and killed. Why would I want to join that fold? "

"Because it's who you are." Sam told him with a halfhearted smile, "You're Danny Phantom!"

"_No I'm not!_" Dan roared, turning to face her fully again.

"Yes you are!" She retorted pointing an accusing finger at him, "You always have been and you know it! That's why you still have that symbol on your chest!"

Dan looked down at his suit. The white DP insignia was sill there. He placed a hand over it and remembered all the years he'd warn this crest. It was always a symbold of who he was.

But that didn't mean it made him the same as that brat!

"Dan, I know you hate Danny for how his life turned out in comparison to yours..." Sam started, taking a small step toward him, "And I know you're angry with the world... And you may be this evil ghost on the outside, but you'll always be Danny Fenton on the inside... You're a hero. Part fruitloop or not."

Dan looked down at her in a mix of thought and confusion.

"No..." He said flatly, "I can't go back to that..."

He moved away from her toward the exit of the room.

"Dan, wait." Sam said sadly.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. Painful, bloody memories flashing over his eyes. Images of his family and their bodies laying broken in the burning rubble... Their funerals... His split from Danny.

And now his family hated him and were now hunting him. They wanted him gone for good like the rest of his timeline. They were repulsed by his even existence.

"I can't go back." He turned and dashed from the room.

Sam called after him to wait and he heard Clockwork finally speaking up to tell her not to follow. Dan sped down the hall, his boots slamming down on the ground loudly. The sound echoed off the walls but all Dan could hear was the screams of his loved ones and every one he'd hurt.

He killed hundreds of people. He broke up families for fun and never bothered to second guess his actions. He was a monster. And for ten years he enjoyed it! He destroyed for sport and never cared who got hurt in the crossfire.

He could never be the hero again. Not after all he'd seen, all he'd done. Sam was a fool to think otherwise.

Dan threw open his bedroom door, entering quickly. He slammed it it behind him before falling to his knees against it

"What's wrong with me?" He asked himself, tears finally dripping from his eyes.

Dan grapsed his own hair in his frustration and roared angrilly. He slammed his fists against the closed door to let out some of his agression but it didnt seem to do any good. Agression was seeming less and less like the answer every day.

Dan leaned against the cold wood and wept. For the first time in 14 years he cried. He let out all the pain and frustration he'd been holding in and just let his tears flow. His body shook and trembled as the weight of 14 years of silent, nearly unnoticed, grieving was let out. Dan never let himself feel the hurt that the death of his family caused. But in his weaker moments he missed them. He wanted those years back.

And as iff those tears were weights, a heaviness seemed to lift off of Dan;s shoulders. A different kind of weight. The weight of denile and anger. Those things masked his true emotions for a decade and he could finally let down his barriers and feel vulnerable. He could feel weak and be okay with it.

For a moment, if only that long, he was Danny again.

* * *

><p><strong>So there you have it, readers.<strong>

**Now it all comes full circle. Everything that happened in this story and in the show having to do with Dan and Danny has come back around to a point and all ties in to the ultimate plot for Dan. He lost his family before he could find out who hsi real father was, he was ripped from his human half as if he were the cause, and now Danny is living the life he should have gotten. Does Dan see his own redemption in the child? Or is it still just petty revenge?**

**You'll have to read and find out ;)**


	17. Tired

**Now that the depressing chapter is out of the way we can move to all who reviewed. I know a lot of you knever thought of Dan as the regretful type but I liked to imagine both sides of a person. No matter hjow evil some one is they have a weaker side somewhere. No matter how hard they hide it, there's always a place deep down inside some one where they store their deepest emotions. And I dont believe that splitting his ghost half from his human half really got rid of Danny/Dan's emotions. It's been shown many times that Ghost's have emotions too. They just arent as obvious on some occassions or are exaggerated.**

**But enough of that. Let's continue with the story now that most of the pieces have been put together.**

* * *

><p>Danny literally fell through the portal back into the Ghost Zone. His entire body was tired and ached. He didn't even have the energy to fly so he just let himself float along. He had never felt this exhausted in his life! School couldn't even compare!<p>

"You've saved the world several times and a week of work makes you tired?" Nocturne asked with a clearly amused tone.

Danny looked up at him tiredly, "I dont know how you do this every year... I'm wiped out... You never told me it would take_ so long_!"

The ghost of sleep shrugged, "You never asked. Besides, I did far more work than you."

"Yeah, but you gather energy from dreams. I didn't have that luxury," Danny retorted, managing to pull himself into something resembling a standing position.

Nocturne just chuckled and preceded to fly away liesurly. Danny followed behind him closely.

"So are you going to help me find Sam or not?" He asked, the week of work making him anxious to find her and be done with this gigantic game of hide and seek.

Nocturn stared into the distance silently for a moment then said,"She is not asleep. I have to wait untill she goes to bed to trace her dreams."

"You can't trace her last one or something?" Daniel groaned.

"I am afraid not, Ghost Boy." The ghost of sleep replied, "You will have to be patient. "

Danny sighed in defeat and followed Nocturne back toward his lair. Danny could see the Specter Speeder parked in front of it and his search party camped out around it. They had a lantern set up in the middle of their partial circle and appeared to be just chatting. When they saw Danny and Nocturne coming they hopped up quickly.

"You're back!" Maddie cheered happily.

"It's about damn time!" Walker said with a disapproving frown, "You could have called and told us you'd be running a week late."

Danny laughed as he touched down in front of them, "Sorry... Left my phone in my other pants."

He heard Nocturne laugh beside him.

"Well, Ghost boy, I think it's time you gave me my medallion back,"Nocturne said extending a clawed hand for the item.

Danny looked down at the trinket around his neck, almost forgettingg he was wearing it. He grasped it and pulled the chain up and over his head carefully. As soon as it left his body Danny felt his bones and muscles reshape themself to their natural form. His claws retracted to form normal human fingers and the black starry second skin retreated over his body to reveal his clothes underneath. His cape flapped out freely as it was liberated from it's sparkly bonds.

Danny streached his reformed limbs, feeling his blond pumping through them again. He hadn't even noticed that that medallion numbed him.

The halfa handed the necklace to Nocturne and the ghost of sleep sent it into his castle with a thought. Danny watched it go, thankful that that experience, however enlightening, was finally over.

But it still left danny feeling more lost and confused than ever.

Nocturne had sent him the dream of his family. He knew this was going to happen. He didn't agree to help Danny because he needed a favor. He agreed to help because he knew what would happen if he didn't. Which begged thequestion of what would have happened?

What was so important about Danny finding Sam that effected the span of time so much that even Nocturne would be effected. And even more, some one like Clockwork! How would this effect Clockwork of all ghosts? Sure, he controlled the time stream as they knew it, but Danny trying to save Sam effected his happiness?

"Daniel, are you okay?" Technus asked with a frown, "You look upset."

"I'm okay," Danny told him with a half smile, "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Well, at least we're on step closer to finding Sam and Dan." Tucker said happily, "When do we head out?"

"Soon as Sam falls asleep." Danny told him, "Who knows how long that will be."

"Well... What do we do till then?" Maddie asked looking around her, "It's not like there's anything to do here."

"You'd be surprised the things there are to do int he Ghost Zone." Nocturne told her, "Of course, most of the time you have to be a ghost to enjoy them."

Danny turned to him with a furrowed brow, "What kinds of things do you mean?"

Nocturne smirked, "You'll see very shortly."

Danny followed his gaze across the stoney landscape to see Vortex headed their way. Maddie armed her self but Danny pushed the barrel down to prevent any unnessesary violence. Besides, from his current expression, Vortex looked like he was in a good mood.

Good mood = Good weather.

"Nocturne! -WHEEZE- You finally returned!" The weather ghost laughed as he stopped in front of his friend, "I was beginning to think you got lost."

The ghost in question laughed, "Vortex, you should know better than to assume such foolishness of me."

"Isn't that the weather ghost that was attacking Amity Park?" Danny's mother asked quietly.

Tucker and Danny both nodded slowly. Neither wanted to talk and get the much larger ghost's attention.

But that was inevitable when he looked right at them.

"Ah. If it isn't the- WHEEZE- meddling ghost boy!" Vortex grinned, "Back to your old self I see."

Danny laughed nervously, "Yeah... I've had enough playing helper for one week."

Surprisingly Vortex gave a non-menacing laugh. He seemed to fully find it amusing. Not just in a "I like seeing you miserable" way. But there was certainly a bit of that in there. Calm moment or not, Danny was still the one who sent him back to his prison.

How he got free again was beyond the boy.

"So, how did you two meet anyway?" Danny decided to ask, motioning between Nocturne and Vorex, "I dont imagine it was at the supermarket."

The two ghosts exhanged glanced and smirked before looking back at him.

"We met on the job." Nocturne said cooly, "You see, one night I was busy harvesting dreams and putting people to sleep when this powerful storm rolled in. Naturally, lightning is hard to sleep through. People kept waking up befoer i could get any energy from their dreams. Imagine my surprise when I found that a ghost was behind it."

Danny laughed lightly, "What did you do?"

"He knocked me out..." Vortex mumbled, crossing his arms.

Danny and tucker laughed at this. _Nocturne _knocked out _**Vortex **_of all ghosts!

"It's not funny!" Vortex shouted at them, "Do you know how hard it is to be intimidating when -WHEEZE- this guy knocks you out?"

This only made Danny laugh louder. The older adults with smiling but it wasn't nearly as funny to them since they had no personal inter action with either Nocturne or Vortex before this point.

"Then how did you become friends?" Technus asked with a confused frown.

"I made him apologize and it went from there." Noctunre said smugly, "You'd be surprised how convincing one can be when they control your dreams."

Danny clasped his hands together and smiled, "So, what is there to do around here to kill time? Cause if I just stand here I'll fall asleep."

"There's always my version of fun," Vortex offered with a dark chuckle.

"We are not going to terrorize the humans with anothier one of your monsoons," Nocturne said sternly causing his friend to sulk, "Though you may be on to something."

"This had better not be agaisnt the rules," Walker said with a glare.

Leave it to him to be a kill joy.

"Don't worry, Warden. It wont break any of your rules," Nocturne said, "The observants, however will not be pleased."

"Do you two make a habit of pissing them off?" Danny asked, cocking a brow.

"Sort of." Vortex admitted, "It angers them that I don't actually break any rules when I do."

Danny smirked. He never really cared for the observants and found them more annoying than anything. And finding out that they wanted him dead didn't help much either.

"What do you have in mind?" Tucker asked tilting his head a bit.

"Sorry, kid -WHEEZE- but you aren't ghost enough for it," vortex said shortly, "Though the ghost boy and the two older ones are-WHEEZE- more than welcome. It makes it more interesting."

"Whatever you have planned, count me out," Walker said, walking to his makeshift tent, "I'm getting some sleep."

"Good night." Danny told him with a smile before turning to his father, "What about you, Technus?"

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. I need to streatch my limbs a bit." Technus shrugged.

"And you're sure humans can't come?" Maddie asked, "I would love to see your ghost powers in action."

Danny and his mother looked to Nocturne and Vortex for approval. The two looked at each other meaning fully. They each gave a shrug as iff they knew what the other was thinking and looked back at them.

"If one of these two will carry you." Nocturne said mildly, "But ozone razes aren't for the weak."

"Ozone races?" Danny asked with widened eyes, "What are those?"

"Exactly what they say," Technus answered, obviously knowing what they were talking about, "Only ghosts are capable of them with out getting worn out. It's a race at high speeds in the ozone layer of the atmosphere. I would suggest an oxygen mask, Maddie."

The mother nodded, going to the speeder to fetch one. There was always one kept in it, just in case.

"The first one to make ten laps around the world is the winner. Powers permitted," Nocturne explained, "It's a good stress reliever for powerful ghosts. It helps let off some agression."

Danny smiled, "Count me in! I need to let off some steam. This search for Sam is really wearing on my nerves."

"You kids have fun." Tucker said, dropping to sit on the ground, "I'll stay here, where there's oxygen."

"Suit yourself." Technus told him with a smile.

"Ready," Maddie said, walking back over to them with an oxygen tank strapped to her back and a mask in hand. She turned to Technus with a meak smile, "YOu think I could ride on your back?"

"Sure." He said smiling, kneeling so she could climb on. He supported her legs with his arms as he stood. Danny enjoyed seeing his parents getting along. It would have been interesting if Jack was there. Danny would not have liked carrying him.

Without warning Vortex suddenly flew off into the sky toward a portal. Danny quickly followed after him with Technus and Nocturne close behind. They flew through a new portal and were instantly engulfed by cold air and snow.

Vortex inhaled deeply, "Aaaahh. That's more like it."

"Where are we?" Maddie asked as she pulled up her hood and put the mask on.

"Some where over northern Russia I think." Danny observed, quinting around them, trying desperately to see the ground. They werent in the upper atmosphere yet but they wree a ways off of the ground.

"The arctic actually," Nocturne corrected him, "Closer to the pole."

Vortex ushered them into a line, "Let's hurry before those- WHEEZE- pathetic observants show up."

"They won't be able to stop us once we get going." Danny noted, getting into a ready stance, "It's not like this is putting anyone in danger."

Nocturn floated liesurely away from them as they formed a line, "I will stay here to count the laps... Ready..."

Danny turned his legs into a ghostly tail and smirked ahead of him slyly, glancing at the ghosts agaisnt him. His mother gripped Technus tightly so she wouldn't fall off. Wires seemed to come out of Technus' body and created a sort of harness to secure her.

"Set..."

"Go!" Danny shouted as he shot foreward ahead of them.

"Hey! No fair!" Vortex called after him.

Danny laughed as he bolted. Good guy or not, Danny was never one to give up an opening when he had one to get ahead. And these werent exactly his friends he was racing.

Not that he would make a habit of it.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm going to put the actuall race, which has a purpose for the plot of the story, in the next chapter. The stuff that goes a long with it would be too long to put in this chapter. A plot point comes out of this. It <strong>_**is **_**actually relevent. **


	18. Plan

**Before we get to the race let's have a quick check in with Dan, shall we? Then we can get to the good part. The suspence filled confusing part!**

It had been a week since Dan's breakdown and he had fallen into a deep depression. He was spending most of his days lokced up in hs room, cut off from the world. He would lie in bed for hours, just staring at the ceiling blankly. The only times he left his solitude was to eat and when he did he never spoke. There was nothing left to say.

Even if there was something he could say, his mind couldn't form the words. His brain was far too busy trying to work everything out and make sense of his life. It was all he could think about.

Clockwork tried to get Dan to speak to him but failed. Dan just shrugged him off and went back into his room. Clockwork would follow him in on occassion and sit with him on the bed and try to comfort him. Dan appreciated this but didn't tell him. Dan just laid there as Clockwork spoke to him and gently stroked his hair.

Late at night Dan would sit in his room, hearing Clockwork and Sam talking. It wouldn't hear everything just broken bits of sentences. Things about the baby. Dan heard them saying something about him at one point in that converasation but he didnt' catch all that they said. But it was something about him being more Danny than Vlad and being 'good on the inside'.

Whatever. Not like it mattered.

Now it was the seventh day of his depression and Dan was still lying in bed. He looked up when he heard the door open and Clockwork stepped in. Dan would have ignored it because it was normal now but Sam was behind him. Dan sat up and looked between the two in silent confusion.

"Hey.." Sam said shyly, "How's it going?"

Dan just shrugged. He wasn't particularly happy to see her and she knew it. But he wasn't angry either.

She was starting to get a small baby bump from the child growing inside of her. The other day Clockwork had said something about the kid's ghost genes making it mature faster. Probably a triat from Danny's speed healing ability. And from what Dan could hear through the walls, she was having serious morning sickness. Clockwork was taking care of her for the most part now.

"Feeling any better today?" Clockwork asked, moving to sit beside Dan on the bed.

Another shrug. He was slightly amazed that after all these days of getting no where that Clockwork was even still trying. It was an admirable effort. Dan leaned slightly into the touch when Clockwork brushed his hair back across his head tenderly.

Sam walked up and stood by the bed warily. Her hands rung eachother nervously as she looked up at the ghost's stone face. Her nerves were as obvious as her black eyeliner.

"Look, Dan... I'm sorry about the things I said to you that upset you..." She started, "It's just that ever since I first saw you I only ever thought of you as a monster. I never stopped to think of you as a person."

Dan frowned. She was apologizing to _him_? Wow... That was new. Not completely disliked. Just, unexpected.

"I came in here to ask you if everything you told me was true." Sam told him with a sad expression, "Was all of that about taking care of the baby and keeping him from getting hurt really true?"

Dan nodded without a second thought. He wouldn't wish his life on anyone else, let alone an infant.

"Dan..." Clockwork put his hands on Dan's shoulders making him look at the time keeper, "Sam and I have been talking. And I think she has something you will want to hear."

Dan frowned and looked between them curiously. What on earth could she have to say that Dan would be interested in? She already apologized, so what more could there be? And why was Clockwork smiling at him like that? It was differnt than his usual smile. It was the same kind that Dan had seen at the festival.

Sam inhaled and let it out slowly before talking, "Dan I've been thinking about everything you said, about what will happen to the baby if we give it to another couple. And to be honest, I've worried about the same things."

Dan smirked, this being a small victory for him.

The pregnant goth smiled up at him, " You were absolutely right and I agree with you that the best person to raise Danny's baby is... well, Danny."

Dan cocked his head slightly and looked to Clockwork for answers. The ghost of time just smiled foldly at him.

Dan took the statement in and processed it slowly. 'The best person to raise Danny's baby is Danny'? How did that make sense. Danny was getting rid of the thing!

Wait...

She could mean...

Oh, shit...

=DP=

Danny cut through the cold air of the upper atmosphere at full speed. The other ghosts were hot on his tail and closing. They managed to catch up during the accent.

Danny looked behind him as a snow ball the size of his head flew past him. Vortex was laughing and forming another in his palm.

"So that's how it's gonna be?" Danny turned around, flying backward in the same direction.

His eyes turned blue as icy beams shot from them, barely missing Vortex and Technus who was directly behind him. Maddie screamed and ducked her head.

"Watch it!" Technus shouted at him.

"Sorry, dad!" Danny laughed.

They were on their third lap. Danny was fighting Vorex for the lead, having lost it six times already. As tired as he was this was still a pretty good work out and stress reliever. Even if he was racing agaisnt one of his most powerful enemies .

"Hi Nocturne!" Danny exclaimed as they passed the starting point again, "Bye Nocturne!"

Vortex swooped down suddenly and flew beneath Danny, passing him with ease. Danny practically squealed to a stop as the wind kicked up around him because of it. Vortex only cackled with laughter and sped ahead of them.

Danny looked behind him to Technus who had stopped momentarily to give Maddie a break.

"This is insane!" Maddie shouted, "Do ghosts do things like this all the time?"

"Not really," Technus told her, "Normally we get shoved in your thermos before we get the chance."

Danny's mother laughed nervously as the master of Technology started foreward again.

"Glad to see you two are getting closer," Danny said with a smile.

Technus laughed, "Unavoidable I suppose. She _is _the mother of my only son."

"So much for not going soft," Danny taunted him before flying away quickly.

Nicolai chased after him but neither got far. They made it about a mile, Danny dodging low powered electricity blasts, before they were forced to stop. They both had to drop several feet when Vortex suddenly came flying by them again. In the wrong direction. Danny barely got a glimpse of his face, but Vortex looked panicked.

"What's gotten into _him_?" Maddie asked, looking back over her shoulder.

"I don't know..." Danny said with a frown, "Whatever it is it can't be good. Let's follow him."

The three flew after the weather ghost quickly, following the trail of clouds he left behind him. It went all the way back to where Nocturne was waiting.

Danny gasped at what he saw.

The observants and their guards were there! And they were trying to aresst Vortex! They had him chained and Nocturne was liked inside an energy ball, trying desperately to escape.

"Let me go you -WHEEZE- pathetic specters!" Vortex shouted as he fought agaisnt the restrains they had him locked in.

Heavy metal cuffs had been strapped to his wrists attacked to thick chains that two guards were holding. They seemed to be disrupting the use of Vortex's powers. One of the two Observants present was floating off to the side, a new spectral Barometer in hand. He shot a heavy blast of power at Vortex making the ghost scream in pain.

Danny growled and flew over.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked them angrilly.

"Vortex has been convicted of creating a massive hurricane that assaulted the caribbean islands," The idle observant said.

The other stopped his assult to add, "We are placing him under arrest for his crime."

"I did nothing!" Vortex spat at them.

Danny glared at the observants, "How could he have done that? He's been here with us!"

The observant with the Barometer scoffed, "You of all ghosts should know he can multi task!"

"And you two of all ghosts should know that Vortex would never deny his own work!" Nocturne growled from his trap, "His ego is far too large to not take credit for that!"

"Yeah!" Vortex agreed, "Wait... Was that an insult or a compliment?"

"Silence!" An Observant ordered, turning to Danny, "You should learn your place, boy. We arrest who we deam nessessary to protect the world."

"But he hasn't done anything wrong!" Danny retorted, "You have no reason!"

"Preventing more lives being lost is reason enough!" The attacking observant said authoritativly.

Technus moved closer to danny and whispered, "Danny, this isn't a good idea. The Observants are not to be taken lightly."

Daniel ignored him and flew up to put himself between the observants and Vortex.

"Protecting the world or not, how about you come back when you have a real reason to arrest him," Danny told them threateningly, "There is such thing as naturaly occuring weather!"

Vortex blinked at his back in surprise as he continues to thrash agaisnt his restraints.

"You're... Defending me?" He asked in awe.

Danny glanced behind him for a moment then back to lock eyes with the Observant in front of him. He gave his most menacing glare at the cyclopic ghost.

"Let him go." Danny told him, "Now."

The observant stared him down for a moment then glared with his singular eye. Danny narrowed his own eyes, them flashing bright green for a moment. He wasn't sure why Technus was so afraid of these wimps.

"Very well, Danny Phantom." The observant finally said with a snap of his fingers.

The restraints holdingt he weather ghost vanished and the guards backed off from him quickly. Vortex rubbed his wrists and looked back to see Nocturne be freed from his cage. The two flew to each other and made sure the other was okay. Danny looked around him quickly then back to the observant.

"Look, I dont know what you were trying to pull here," Danny started, pointing a convicting finger at the green, one eyes ghost in front of him, "But if I catch you abusing your power like that again I'll-"

"You'll what?" The other observant asked with a slightly amused tone, "You have no power over us. We are the ultimate deciders of the Ghost Zone."

"I dont give two shits who you are!" Danny spat at them, "Unless you have a good reason to arrest them, leave innocent ghosts alone!"

The observant floated back a bit then folded his arms behind his back, "No one is totally innocent, Danny Phantom."

The other observant added, "This was simply a set back. Soon enough Vortex will slip up and we will arest him. Your efforts were meaningless."

Danny frowned deeper, "We'll see."

The observant in front of him leaned in with narrowed eye, "Yes, _we _will."

"And you'll never see it coming." The other added before they promptly disapered, guards included.

Danny blinked at the empty space in front of him.

What was that supposed to mean? They must have known something was going to happen that Danny didn't.

"Who were those ghosts?" Maddie asked, breaking the silence.

"Two of the Observants," Nocturne answered with a hateful glare, " They are charged with keeping order... My any means nessessary. But normally they do not act..."

"Something big must be coming for them to act out like that," Technus noted.

"Why me though?" Vortex asked with a frown.

"You're the usual suspect." Danny told him, turning back to face the group, "Whatever they are planning it obviously incudes you... And I have a sinking feeling I'm involved too."

"But what on earth could involve the two of you?" Technus asked with concern, "You two aren't related in the least!"

"I dont know..." Danny said quietly, "But something tells me it's not good, what ever it is."

"Our first priority should be to find Sam and make sure she's safe." Maddie said boldly, "We can worry about them later."

Danny nodded in agreement, "Fine." He turned to Nocturne, "Well?"

The ghost of sleep closed his ruby eyes for a moment. He exhaled as he focused. Danny stared at him, anxious and hopeful. Nocturne suddenly snapped his eyes back open.

"I've found her."

Danny's heart skipped a beat, "And?"

Nocturn's face fell a bit, "You won't like it..."

Danny laughed, "Out of everything that's happened to me over the last month? How bad could it possibly be?"

"She's with Clockwork."

Danny froze with wide eyes, "Apparently it could be really bad..."

* * *

><p><strong>See? Suspence and confusion filled! Wait till you get to see what the Observants are up to. I bet you will have no idea. ;)<strong>


	19. Anger and Calm

**Thank you all for the reviews! **

**I wanted this chapter to be longer than it is but I just don't seem to be good at that :P**

* * *

><p>"Clockwork?" Tucker asked loudly, "Dan's getting help from Clockwork?"<p>

Danny kept his arms crossed and an angered glare on his face, "Apparently... And all that talk about making sure the baby got to a good family... He's been helping the man trying to _hurt _the baby!"

"Danny, you dont know for sure that that is the case," Maddie told him, "I speak from experience when I say that some things aren't what they seem."

Danny frowned up at her, "Well, Dan is exactly what he seems. A heartless monster who wouldn't think twice about killing an innocent human being. He's done it before so why change now?"

"So, what do we do?" Technus asked glumly, "Clockwork is the master of time! He'll know we're coming."

"We'll go anyway." Danny said, "I won't lose a chance to get Sam back."

The halfa clenched his fists tightly at the thought of finally being able to finish this. Dan was not going to get off easy like last time. There would be consequences for what he did and Danny would be the one to give it!

"We can't just go rushing in there." Tucker said frightened, "We need to be prepared incase there's a fight."

"Oh, there will be," Danny hissed lowly.

"And what will you do once you defeat him?" Nocturne asked from the sidelines, "That still leaves you with a child that you cannot raise."

"Sam and I will figire that out," Danny told him curtly, "The main priority is getting her out of the hands of that _mad man_! I wouldn't doubt if _he _was the reason the observants are off their nut!"

"But you barely stood a chance last time you fought him!" Maddie said, "I wont allow you to go in there and get killed like you almost did last time!"

Danny rolled his eyes, "Yeah, because I have so much time to improve my skills. Strong enough or not, I'm going. With or with out you," Danny started to walk toward the speeder when a hand on his arm stopped him.

He looked back to meet eyes with his father.

"I have a way that you might be strong enough..." Technus started nervously, "But it comes with a great personal risk to you."

Danny furrowed his brow, "What is it?"

"You know those tests I ran on you a few months ago?" Technus asked recieving a nod in return, "Well, that machine was going to uplink to my own body and allow me to use your powers in a limited form. Maybe... If I change the settings, I could enhance your powers with mine instead."

Danny stared at him. A grin creeped over his face and he jumped foreward to hug the man.

"You're a genius!" Danny praised him, "That mad scientist stuff paid off for me after all!"

"Thank you?" Technus said, unsure if that was a positive statement.

"But Dan beat Technus before!" Tucker noted quickly, "He even beat him when he was combined with Skulker! You'll need a lot more power than just Technus' to beat him."

Daniel hummed, "You're right... Walker," Danny turned to the warden who was lounging agaisnt the speeder silently up to this point, "Any chance you can donate to the cause?"

"Sure, why not." Walker shrugged as he laid a card down in his game of solitair, "Anything to put this punk in his place."

Maddie stepped up to Technus, "YOu said it comes with a personal risk. It won't kill him will it?"

"I dont think so.." Technus shook his head, "But there is a chance it may make hiim more ghost than human..." He turned to Danny again, "Are you willing to take the risk?"

"I would die for Sam." Danny told him, "If this can save her, then yes."

"I wouldn't do it if I were you..."

Danny's head snapped up and he whipped around to see the familiar blond boy lying atop one of the many large stone formations. Danny clanched his fists at the sight of him.

"Following us around, again I see." Danny said angrilly, "What do you want with us this time?"

The boy exhaled slowly, sitting up.

"I've only tried to help you." He told Danny, "I dont know why you're so angry with me..."

"Because I know who you're working for now!" the halfa spat, "I know you're running errands for Clockwork and I want to know why!"

"I wouldn't call them 'errands' exactly.." Aaron said as he floated down to land in front of the group, "But you are right about who I'm working for."

"We also know that Clockwork has Sam," Tucker joined in, stepping to stand by Danny.

He was braver around small ghosts like this one. Even more so now that he knew Aaron was pretty much harmless.

"Okay, so what? She's not being hurt." Aaron responded cooly, "She's being taken care of..."

"_Taken care of_?" Danny roared, his temper about to burst, "She was abducted agaisnt her will by an evil, scheming, maniacle, _sociopathic psyco_! How is she being taken care of?"

"Wow... There were a lot of adjectives in that sentence..." Aaron Leon blinked at him with wide eyes then sighed, "Danny, I know you dont like me. And you arent supposed to right now. But please and just try talking to Dan and Clockwork. Violence doesn't have to be the answer..."

"Like you're one to talk." Technus mumbled.

"I wasn't trying to attack you!" Aaron shouted defencively, "I was trying to disarm you! Look at me! I couldn't hurt a fly."

Danny glared at him silently for a moment. He had a point. He didn't really look very fierce or threatening at all.

"Why should we trust you?" Danny asked softly.

"Because..." Aaron started hesitantly, "Because if you don't your baby won't make it."

Danny ground his teeth and looked away from the kid.

"Just get lost. You're better off not getting involved..."

Aaron tried to say something but was blocked by Nocturne's hand in his way.

"Just go, Aaron."

Aaron Leon sighed dejectedly and lifted off of the ground.

"I'm more involved than you know, Danny..."

=DP=

"You need to eat salt. It will make your stomache feel better." Clockwork said with a smile as he pushed slatine crackers toward Samantha.

The girl groaned and lifted her head off of the table, "I've had enough salt to fill an ocean. It's not helping."

"Stop being a baby," The master of time told her kindly wiht a small laugh.

Dan walked into the kitchen with a loud, animalistic yawn. He was the last to wake up and was still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened. Thatough he hadn't woken up from sleeping. He had fainted from the news.

He didn't believe it was real.

"Morning," Clockwork said happily, floating over to kiss Dan on the cheek quickly, "Hungry?"

"Nah..." Dan answered flatly, scratching his head.

"Deciding to go shirtless today?" Sam asked teasingly.

Dan just sneered at her for a moment. He had just woken up and didn't feel like putting a shirt on right away. He was pretty proud of his body so why hide it?

"What are those scars from?"

Dan looked down at his chest to see long, jagged scars running vertically across his skin. They ran on either side of his heart and were an unfriendly reminder of the day he was created.

"Ghost gauntlets." Dan answered simply.

He had started talking to them again but his sentences were clipped and didn't waste words.

"Oh..." Sam replied quietly.

Dan went to the already prepared coffee and poured himself a cup in silence. He sipped it as Clockwork hugged him from behind. The hot liquid and the embrace were welcome at the moment. He needed the support from the caffine and the extra body holding him up.

"Smile, Dan. It looks good on you," The master of time told him sweetly.

Dan just snorted and drank the hot beverage. His free hand was placed over Clockwork's own and patted them gently. He had grown used to the impromptu signs of affection and just accepted them as they happened.

"So is Clockwork officially your boyfriend now?" Sam asked borely as che munched on a cracker.

Dan paused his sips momentarily to think about that. Neither of them had really asked the other to go steady or anything. So really right now it was just a love interest or a fling. But by definition Clockwork probably was, what most would call, Dan's boyfriend.

"I guess so," Dan said with a shrug as he drank from hsi coffee again.

He heard Clockwork humm happily and was hugged tighter by the ghost.

The happy moment was quickly interupted though when, completly unannouced, that little ghost twerp burst into the room.

"PAPA! Papa, we have a problem!" Aaron shouted, stopping at the table and slamming his hands onto the surface.

There was that annoying pet name again.

Dan turned as Clockwork did, to look at him. The boy was breathing heavily, probably from flying fast to get to them. His long blonde hair was a mess and his face was dripping with sweat as his body heaved for air.

Wait... Ghosts didn't have to breath!

"I'm fully aware of the current situation, Aaron." Clockwork stated clamly, "And as much as I dislike what I see in the furture, there is nothing I can do to change it."

"Take Sam away from here!" Aaron Leon insisted, "Make Da-Er, Dan take her some where she won't be found. IF Danny comes here and finds them-"

"Danny knows where we are?" Sam asked, hopping up and grabbing the boy roughly by the shoulders, "How long till they get here?"

The twelve year old pushed her off of him gently, "I dont know. A few hours, maybe? They're going to make Danny more powerful so he can beat his older self."

"How do they plan to do that?" Dan asked with a frown.

"I don't know how to explain it," Aaron said glumly, "But Danny's out for blood. He intends to finish you off."

The room was silent for a moment.

"Danny would never want to do that. He's not that kind of person!" Sam said in her fiance's defence.

"Well, for you, apparently he is." Aaron stated bluntly, "He's furious at Dan for kidnapping you and.. your baby. He plans to get you back by any means nessessary."

"Let him come after me," Dan said coldly, "If he thinks it will make him a bigger man than me, then let him 'finish me off'."

"Dan, let's not be rash," Clockwork told him calmly, "There are other solutions to this."

Dan nodded, "I have a few ideas. Don't worry, Clockwork, fighting Danny is the last thing on that list."

"If you want to survive, I dont think you'll have a choice, "The ghost kid said sadly, "He's going to be more powerful than ever when he comes after you. And from how he spoke to me, he's not in the mood to talking.

"Then bring him on." The flame hared ghost set his mug down, "I could use the work out. He can't stop me and he knows it. They all do."

Sam stared at him, "But what about what we discussed?"

Dan exhaled tiredly, "Sam... You and I both know that Danny would never agree to that. So unless I do something drastic to change his mind, it will never work out."

"We'll make it work!" The goth told him with a slam of her fist on the table, "I won't lose the only chance this baby has at a good future!"

Dan looked to Clockwork beside him and put a bare arm around his 'boyfriend', "We can do this."

Aaron smiled at them happily and pulled out a seat to sit down beside Sam. He continued to watch Dan and Clockwork with a chipper grin as the two interacted. It kind of freaked Dan out. At one point he even stared back. But the boy didn't even seem phased. Even when given Dan's scariest glare he just looked obliviously happy as children usually did. Clockwork didn't even appear to notice it at all!

Eventually Dan confronted him with some questions about him.

"So... Where are your parents?" Dan asked with narrow eyes.

This is when Aaron finally looked away, "They're... having some problems right now..."

"Oh." Dan said shortly, "Well, that's too bad."

"It's okay." The child chuckled lightly, "They have a way of _working _things out."

Dan furrowed his brow at the strange emphasis. It was weird that a twelve year old was being cryptic. Even stranger that Dan couldn't figure it out.

Who _was _this kid? Where was he from? Why would Clockwork pick _this _annoying brat to work for him?

And why the hell did he keep smiling at Dan?


	20. Technus

**This story made it to chapter 20! Who else is happy? **

**I know I am!**

**To celebrathe the big 2 0 I wanted to make this chapter special. And I think I achieved that with this. I think this one is of a bit higher quality than some of the others in this story so far. And we even get a Flashback in this one! It's a bit longer than the other chapters too. Oh, Happy day!**

**And we finally get another Technus POV chapter. How great is _that_?**

"You're _sure _you want to do this...?"

"Are _you_?"

"..."

"I'll be fine. I promise."

"Alright then... Begining power up sequence..."

Technus warily flipped a switch on the control panel of his super computer. There was a loud whirring noise as it roared to life. Two panels opened in front to f the mast er of technology. One with the familiar head set that he had used on Danny before, and the other with a needle attached to a long wire.

Exhaling to ease his nerves Technus grabbed the menacing looking helmet from it's compartment. Turning 90 degrees to face Danny he frowned deeply.

"This will probably hurt."

From his spot on the lab table, Danny nodded. Restraints clamped down on the boy's wrists and ankles just like the last time. The teen had no chance of moving. And with what was going to happen, there was a good chance Danny would hurt himself if he weren't bound.

Danny fidgeted uncomfortably as the device was placed on his head over his black hair and secured. It almost made Technus sick to think about what he was about to do to his own son. Things were so much easier when they were still enemies.

"Dad?"

Technus looked down to see Danny staring up at him with sadness in his eyes.

"Yes?"

The boy was trembling slightly, "If I dont come out of this... I just want you to know that I'm proud to be your son."

Technus smiled and brushed his son's hair away from his face gently. A weaker ghost would have cried. But Nicolai wasn't one to stoop to such embarassing levels.

Technus gripped Danny's bound hand for a moment before moving back tot he control panel.

Technus removed his gloves and laid them on a side table. He rolled up the sleave of his coat to reveal his trim fore arms. Gasping the small needle, he lifted it from it's casing, the chord trailing behind it. He pulled the cap off of the sharp tip of the syringe and swallowed his nerves.

"How is this going to work?" Danny asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Technus moved to where the boy could lean up to see him and motioned to the computer.

"There is a special ecto-powercore in this computer. It will work as the hub between our powers." Nicolai told him, "Unfortunately I dont have synthesized versions of my own powers like I recorded with yours... So we have to do this the old fashioned, and painful way."

"So what will happen in the "hub"?" Danny asked, bending the first two fingers on each hand.

"Well, both of our powers will transfer from our bodies and mix there. And when I push down this lever," Technus motioned to a lever protected by a plastic case, "The hub will force the energy out, sending it through the helmet and into your body."

"What will happen to you?" Daniel asked with great concern.

"Nothing. This needle will prevent the power from re-entering my body." Technu told him, holding the tool up for the boy to see. Danny looked confused so Technus cut him off, "And before you ask, no I wont lose my powers. I will just be drained for a few hours. I've tested it before."

Danny swallowed nervously and laid back down, "Then let's do this."

"You're sure you don't want your mother in here?" Technus asked, for the third time in an hour.

"She'd hate seeing me like this." Danny laughed lightly.

"I'm not a huge fan of it either..." Technus mumbled quietly so Danny couldn't hear him.

Slowly and carefully, the master of technology pressed the needle agaisnt his skin. He winced painfully as it pierced his green flesh. Since he usually focused his powers through his hands, his forearm was the best place to inject the device.

Reaching over to the computer Technus quickly pressed the activation button to start the transfer.

The two cried out in unison as the machine began to drain them. It simulatainiously forced electricity into their systems while pulling their ecto-energy out. The electrical stimulation was nessessary to cause their powers to spike to the needed levels. A ghost with a particularly low power level would have been drained completely.

Danny thrashed against his binds as he was racked with electrical charges. The helmet was glowing green from all the power being pulled through it. The teen had more power than the hub could handle.

Technus was doubled over in pain, clenching his hands over his chest in pain. But at the same time it facinated him. He was one with Danny. He coudl see through his eyes, feel what he was feeling, and was even recieving breif flashes of memories his son had gained.

Danny was going through a simliar sensation. Images flashed over his eyes of his father's life before he had died. He saw the people that Nicolai once called his friends, and moments similar to the memories Danny had of himself and his own friends. It was sureal and other worldly to be honest. But it created a bizzar calm between the two.

Horror rushed through Danny when the darkest of all memories, his eyes fogging over. Technus even felt it as it came rushing back to the front of his mind. The images and thoughts were as clear as if they were happening now.

_Nicolai Technus was working in his lab alone. His friends and co workers had all gone home to their families and wives for the night. Nicolai didn't care. He prefered the silence when he was working. And right now he needed focus._

_His current project, a self perpetuating generator, was consuming all of his time lately. Not that it mattered though. Nicolai had no one to go home to at night that would be angry if he stayed out late. His mother frequently called him, telling him he needed a break from all of this technology and to go out and have some fun. But this __**was **__fun for Nicolai. _

_Technology was his art. It could do things that humans would never be able to do. Technology could make things hot or cold in seconds, it could lift heavy objects without injury or strain. It was beautiful and wonderous. Coming from a poor family with no access to anything high tech, Nicolai was facinated by all things mechanical. He had even taken his first car apart to see how it worked. _

_And stranegly enough he always seemed to know. hwo to use it all. It was a gift. His friends called him cursed by the 'geek disease'. They told him that's why he could never get a girlfriend or even a date for that matter._

_The thirty something scientist ran his hands through his messy black hair tiredly, stepping back from his machine. He wiped his sweaty brow with a sigh and fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose._

_A part of him, though, **did** wish for more. He would have loved a family. But his social status and physical appearance detered women. Nicolai had come to terms with his less than desirable looks long ago but it didn't stop him from wanting to settle down eventually._

_He checked his watch and saw that it was almost eleven at night. His show was starting soon and he had to go home to feed his cat. _

_Nicolai set down his welder on the work bench and walked away to go hang up his lab coat. He had just reached the rack and was about to take his coat off when he heard a crackling noise behind him followed by a quiet dripping. The scientist turned around and gasped loudly when he saw that his welder had turned it self back on some how and was cutting a hole into the side of his generator. _

_'The feul!' He thought in a panic as he turned swiftly on his heel to turn off the flame. _

_But as soon as he got in range the small flame pierced the metal shell of the generator. The fuel inside ignited instantly. Nicolai gaped as fire engulfed the lab. He was sent flying back from the explosion it created, burning his coat and slamming his head into the table behind him. _

_The man fell to the floor as the generator exploded somepletly, sending fire in every direction, causing dangerous chemicals, that Nicolai had told the others to keep out of his lab, burst into flame._

_Blood slowly leaked from the back of Nicolai's skull as he tried to get up. He shouted in pain when something sharp in his side sent a jolt through him. He looked down and saw a shard of metal embedded in his abdomen, just below his rib cage. If he could get to the hospital he would be fine._

_"Damn!" He cursed as he tried t oget up. But between his head injury and the pain in his side he couldn't get on his feet._

_Nicolai fell back onto the tile floor limply as the world slowly went black around him._

Danny shrieked in pain as he felt the burning of the fire as if it were on his own skin. He flailed and thrashed agaisnt his binds, shaking furiously. Tears leaked from his eyes, physically and emotionally in pain from what he had seen. He was feeling Technus' death as it happened as if he were physically dying.

Technus groaned, squeazing his eyes shut as he tried to force the memory away. It hurt to remember how one died. Especially if it was of unnatural causes. He hadn't been in this much pain or felt this horrible since the day he had died and woken up in the Ghost Zone.

Nicolai managed to reach out shakily for the lever to end this agony. He grasped the lever tightly and slammed it down, feeling instant relief from the pain.

Danny, however, screamed louder than ever. He threw his head back, arching as electricity seemed to take him over. His eyes opened wide and flashed brightly between blue, green and red. He was trying to get a grip on the power being forced into his body but it seemed to be lashhing out randomly from his body, sending blasts in random directions.

Technus ripped the wire from his arm, tiny drops of ectoplasm spurting out. He moved quickly to Danny's side, dodging stray energy as he went. He took the hemet in his hands and forcefully yanked it off of his son's head. Burning red marks were left on his forehead where the receptors for the head set were placed, creating a very sci-fi looking patern on the boy's forehead.

Danny's shouts quickly died down and he fell onto the lab table, a twitching, sparking mess. It was very similar to how he looked the first time he was in this position.

The boy unclenched his fists and relaxed. His finger nails had made small cuts on his palms and left red blood, mixed with small bits of ectoplasm, dripping down his fingers. He managed to opened his eyes, a darker shade of blue than they normally were, and looked up at his father.

"Dad?"

Technus willed the restraints away and helped the boy to sit up. With no warning danny lurched foreward and embraced him tighter than he ever had. It wasn't a loving hug. It was desperate and frightened.

"Dad!" Danny wept as he shook from the shock of what happened.

"Danny, calm down! It's okay!" Technus told him, holding the boy still, but just barely.

He was exhausted from the transfer. Technus had never known what it was like to really grow old but it probably felt something like this..

"I saw... I saw you die!" Danny trembled in his father's grip, eyes still wide open and frightened.

"It's alright, Danny. I'm here."Technus told him just above a whisper, "It's okay..."

Technus tried to pull Danny off of him but was answered by being squeezed mercilessly by the boy.

"Daddy, don't leave me!"

Technus blinked behind his shades at his son. He was visibly shaken and was crying like a toddler. He'd even resorted to using the immature term for him. He had felt death and that was not an easy thing to go through. especially when you didn't actually die. He must have been more afraid than ever to die now.

"I'm not going to leave you, Danny..." Technus told him softly, stroking his son's back, "I'm right here..."

Danny reached up to brush his black hair from his eyes as he looked up to Technus. Shakey fingers wiped tears away. Being this close Technus could now see the small physical changes Danny had undergone during the transfer. His eyes were a shaed darker to match the ones Technus had once had. His hair was a bit spikier, but that could have been from his thrashing, with a dark grey stip going down the middle, and his body had a bit more form to it. Even his skin had changed a bit. He was now even paler than usual.

Dan leaned his head on his father's chest as he took steady breaths. Technus gave him the time he needed, stroking his back soothingly. It was undignified for most men to be seen hugging or even to hug at all. But, when you're related to anyone in the Technus family, dignity has nothing to do with it.

"All my life... I thought Jack Fenton was my father..." Danny said quietly against the black fabric, catching Technus' attention, "And he's great, don't get me wrong... But then you came into my life... Almost instantly I felt some kind of bond to you that I never had with him... You've been here for me, even though you knew you didn't have to be... And it's only really been a few months..."

Technus smiled and stroked the boy's hair lovingly, "Technus men have stong bonds with their fathers. And father's to their son."

Danny smiled briefly, "When I first found out who you really were, I was devestated. I was shocked and angry... But most of all I was sickened. I couldn't believe that of all the men in the world, _you _were my biological father..." Danny looked up through his hair at him, "And now, being here, it feels like you were my dad all along. Like you were always there, even when you weren't around..."

Nicolai smiled a bit wider, "Well, you do take after me in a few ways. A few more now,"

He grabbed some of Danny's hair to emphasise.

"And seeing you die... Feeling it as if I were there..." Danny's voice cracked, "I realise how many years I've really lost. Had you survived, my parents would have been able to introduce us sooner, you wouldn't be evil, and maybe there would have been a good future for you. Maybe you would have been able to settle down eventually."

Technus laughed, "I have accepted my lonely bachelor status. And trust me, it's not changing anytime soon."

Danny laughed a bit and loosed his grip a bit, "With the magic you worked on me and Valerie, you can't get a date?"

Technus just laughed at the irony. He was never good at helping himself out romanticly.

Danny wiped his eyes again with a small snif and continued to lean on his father. Both were too weak to really go anywhere just yet. Technus was surprised by the fact that he could pull the helmet off of Danny.

"Dad?" danny started looking up at Nicolai.

"Yes?" The latter responded.

"I don't think I want to do that again..." Danny responded weakly as he nearly passeed out agaisnt Technus.

The scientist laughed, "What about 'doing whatever it takes'?"

"Walker died in a prison riot." Danny stated dryly, "I don't want to see that... Or his weird relationship with Spectra..."

Technus just nodded, "Noted... Do you feel like moving yet?"

"Uh uh." Danny answered shortly, "I can't feel my legs yet."

"We don't have to cut the other one off too, do we?" Technus teased, earning an elbow in his ribs.

The two sat there in silence. The stillness calming them. Danny's shaking was beginning to die down completly and the tears were finally stopped. Technus watched as Danny experimented moving body parts. He shifted his legs to make sure they worked. And now, even human form, he had complete control over his mechanical leg. The teen smiled at the small victory.

Technus eventually was set free and Danny tossed his legs over the edge of the table. He didn't get up right away but swung his legs back and forth. He seemed to be getting a kick, no pun intended, out of his new found control.

He finally hopped up, with technus ready to catch him if he fell, and stood by the table. He wobbled a bit but found his footing. He wiggled his right leg slightly and swung it foreward and back in a practice movement.

He let out a satisfied sigh and smiled up at Technus, who was now, not much taller than him.

"Let's go see your mother. She's probably worried sick." Technus said, placing a hand at the nape of Danny's neck to move him foreward.

Danny complied and walked smoothly along.

"So now that I'm officially a "Technus", does this mean I have to dress like you now?" Danny asked with a genuinely curious tone, "Because now I have the sudden urge to wear a trenchcoat... And monologue.."

Technus laughed loudly and shoved the boy forward playfully. Even _he _hadn't monologued for a while. Really, he was over due for a good rant.

They exited the lab and lingered at the top of the stairs for a moment. Before taking a step down the stairs Danny turned to Technus and embraced him. It was a real hug this time. Technus took a moment to really enjoy it and a part of him wished he had gotten to see Danny grow up more than he had from an enemies point of view. He was a man now and Technus was 18 years too late to support him like a father should have all those years.

"Thank you, Dad." Danny said with a bright smile, "You know, for being here..."

Technus embraced him back tightly, "I could say the same thing to you... Now, you go ahead. I have to put everything away in the lab."

They let each other go and Danny started down the stairs. Danny made it down a few steps and stopped to turn around.

"Dad?"

Technus was halfway back into his lab and stopped to turn around, "Yes, Daniel?"

"Love you."

"Love you too, son..."

**On a side note: Technus had a lonely guy cat! HAHAA!**

**And I love the fact that even though Technus is apparently an amazing matchmaker (See episode: Flirting with Disaster), he's _still_ _single_! He could totally use his skills to his advantage.**


	21. Preperation

Danny prepared for the inevitble battle with great care. He had his mother stich up any tiny little hole that might have been in his suit. He had Tucker on the radar at all times to make sure their path would be clear of any unfortunate run ins on the way. Tucker had even calibrated the PDA he'd given to Danny for his birthday to hook up with Technus, who was linked into the radar mentaly. That way they could see everything even when they weren't in Technus' lair or in the Speeder.

Danny was in his father's personal gym in human form as he waited for everyone to prepare as well. Maddie was charging her weapons and the Spector deflectors for her and Tucker. Walker was cleaning his gun, and Technus had yet to come down from his lab.

Danny was pumping iron, laying on his back on the work out bench. He was lifting hundred pounds of weight over his face like it was nothing. He was used to lifting more than this during ghost fighting but he needed something to pass the time and prep himself. It was a small outlet for his agression. Should talking actually be an option he wanted to be able to calm down. A thin layer of sweat was forming on his tensed brow but he ignored it.

After about an hour of this danny put the weights back i their place and sat up. Hegrabbed the hand towl and wiped his face tiredly with a groan, running his hands through his messy hair. It fell against his back loosely, not staying calm no matter how many times he brushed it out. But as long as it still remained down intead of spiking up, he didn't care. That was something Danny did not want to have in common with his father.

"Danny?"

The boy turned to see his mother in the door way with a saddened frown.

"Yeah?" The teen answered, turning to hang his legs off of the padded bench.

The woman walked over and sat beside him. She placed a steady hand on his shoulder and gave him a level stare.

"Danny, I need you to promise me something."

Danny nodded, "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

She hesitated before answering, "I know that you're angry, and that you want to get Sam back. But I want to know I can trust you to not go too far."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, frowning.

"Don't kill Dan." Maddie said flatly.

Danny blinked at her. She _didn't_ want him to finish off Dan? But he was a sick perversion of Danny's future.

"Excuse me?" He asked, as if he hadn't heard her properly.

"Do not kill Dan." She repeated, "As much as I know you hate the idea of letting him go, I still couldn't allow you to do that to yourself... literally."

"I think I know what's best, mom," Danny told her, crossing his arms.

"I know you think you do. But I'm your mother and I do." Maddie said seriosuly, "As much as you would hate to admit it, Dan IS you. And that makes him my son, regardless of the things he's done. And I can't stand to see my own child die. especially at the hands of another of my children..."

Danny frowned, "He tried to kill you! I know you dont remember it but-"

"But nothing!" Maddie cut him off, taking on a repremanding tone, "If you kill him, or destroy him, or how ever you get rid of a ghost for good, you are no better than him! You'll just become him and the people who love you don't want to see that happen..." She paused, "I just got off the phone with your father too..."

Danny knew she was talking about Jack, "And?"

"Apparently, some ghosts have attacked him while we were away." SHe said softly, "No one was hurt but some equiptment was stolen from the lab. Jazz came back from her dorm to help him... But mostly they're worried about when we're coming back.."

"Why would ghosts take ghost hunting equipment?" Danny asked quietly, "The only ones who would possibly want it are Skulker and Vlad, and they're both in jail!"

"We'll focus on that later," Maddie said with a smile and a pat on his knee, "Let's just focus on ending this so we can all go home."

"Well, techically, Technus _is _home." Danny said with a smirk, knowing Maddie wasn't comfortable with him calling Technus "dad".

"Fine, the rest of us can go home and he can stay here." Maddie rolled her eyes, "Walker and I both agree that this little venture is taking far too long."

"Mom, don't talk to my former enemies," Danny told her jokingly, "It's weird..."

She just laughed and stood. She then turned and gained back her serious expression.

"Danny, You're the hero here. You're the one who will fight this battle for us and no one is going to stop you," She said softly, "But I am going to trust you, and hope that when the time comes you will make the right decision."

She walked from the room to leave Danny alone. But only for a moment bbecause as she walked out, Technus walked in. They gave brief smiles to one another before the Master of Technology came over to stand in front of the boy.

His green gloved hands were clasped in front of him, holding a small case. Danny eyes it warily then looked up at his father's face.

"What's that?" He asked.

Technus smiled lightly, "Well, while you were hooked up to the computer, it scanned your body functions. And from that I figured out the exact prescription you need."

"You made me glasses?" Danny raised a brow and frowned, "No offence but-"

"Don't worry. They aren't that bad." Technus said as he opened the case to reach inside.

He pulled out black tinted glasses with narrow frames that came to a point on either side. But not too dramatic of a point. Just enough to be badass and masculine. He handed them to Danny who put them on.

Instantly danny's viosn was made clearer. He hadn't even noticed how bad his vision really was until it was made better. This was so much better than the fog he had been walking around in for a month. They made objects look brighter and sharper than they had seemed to be.

"Not bad..." Danny said slowly, refusing to admit that the glasses were cool.

"You're welcome," Technus said with a smirk, "Your suit is in your room, go get dressed. We should go before the trail gets cold."

"Right..." Danny stood and wiped his brow one final time, removing any lingering sweat.

He took a deep breath before walking from the room. Danny turned to go to the door of his room as technus proceded to the living room where the group had assembled. Danny closed himself in his home away from home and looked to his bed where his suit waited for him. He moved over to it and picked it up. It looked like it always had but now, in silver thread, his insignia was stiched onto the front.

Danny ran his fingers over it slowly, nostalgicly. His evil self wore this symbol too. Dan _was _Danny. He was a part of him.

Danny thought about what his mom had told him with a frown. When the time came, _could _Danny show restraint and not destroy Dan for what he's done? The crimes Dan had committed were terrible, even enspeakable. He was a Frankensteins Monster if there ever was a better example.

Danny sighed and went ghost, now standing in his boxers only since he had taken off the suit. His usually tanned ghost skin was now a sickly pale. It almost looked green if the light hit it right. A side effect of the power merge, no doubt. Danny hoped it was only temporary.

He also hoped that Technus' power would be enough. Danny had decided agaisnt taking Walker's power as well and was severly wishing that he wasn't going to regret it later.

Danny let out a calming breath as he slipped into his suit. he put everything on and tied his long white hair back behind his neck, shaking it out slight.

"Let's do this..."

=DP=

Dan was preparing for what wsa coming. He knew that Danny was out for blood and was preparing for the worst.

Clockwork and Sam watched him from the floor. The ghost had returned to his former place in the rafters and had remained there for over an hour. He was toiling away over his last ditch effort.

Should danny really take that final leap toward becoming like Dan and try to kill him, Dan wanted a way out.

Sam waited for him to come down, a frightened, shaking mess. Her hair was shaggy and she was sweating bullets from the nerves. Aaron was sitting with her and looking up at her with a frown.

"It'll be okay..." He told her gently.

"How do you know?" Sam asked shakily, "The man I love is coming for a death match agaisnt his older self over me. How is that going to be okay?"

The boy sighed and rested his chin in the palms of his hands to stare at the floor. Sam glanced over at him and frowned. Her eyes lingered on the gear shaped clasp on his cape and hummed throughtfully when she spotted the familiar CW logo. A time medallion? Was this kid from the future?

"Who are you anyway?" When he turned to answer she cut him off, "Who are you really? Dont think that because I'm a good guy I don't suspect you of anything..."

"You don't trust me." Aaron stated glumly, "Look, if I could tell you anything about my life, I would. But I am strictly forbidden from speaking about where I'm from."

"And why is that?" Sam asked, frowning deeper.

Her curiosity was peaked by this kid.

He groaned and turned to her, "You're really going to bother me about this?"

"If it involves my son then, yes," Sam anwered curtly, "Now, spill."

Aaron shifted his eyes to look around them. Clockwork was floating not too far away. He was clearly listening to them, but his face was calm and looked as though he didn't even see them.

"I can't..." Aaron stood and walked away, his cape fluttering behind him.

"Hey! Get back here!" Sam stood and followed after him.

She tailed him across the viewing platform and to the entrance to the hallway where the rooms were. She grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around and face her. His wide red eyes blinked at her, his mouth slightly open. Clearly he was expecting her to come after him. Sam was actually a biot surprised that he didn't just phase out of her grip.

"I told you, kid, I want answers!" She demanded in a strong voice, "Now start telling me how you're involved in this or... I'll give you a wedgie or something!"

The boy cringed at the thought. He exhaled tiredly and Sam released his arm.

"Mrs. Fenton..." He started slowly, "There's a lot I would like to tell you. And you deserve to know but..." He looked up at her with a sad innocence in his eyes, "I just can't. I'm already breaking temporal laws just by talking to you now."

"How is talking against the law?" she asked, "And I'm not Mrs. Fenton yet. We're only engaged."

"Whatever!" The kid exclaimed, clenching his fists at his sides, "The point is, it's too dangerous for me to tell you anything concrete."

Sam stared him down bravely. This ghost boy was no threat to here and didn't even seem to have control over the few powers he had.

What was his problem? What was so dramatic about where he was from that would be dangerous to tell her? And even more so, hwo did it effect the baby?

"Fine. You win." Sam said with a minor glare, "But don't think this ends here, ghost boy. You're goingb to give me my answers eventually."

The boy stepped back from her, his eyes gazing past her. He was looking over her head.

Sam turned to see Clockwork less than a foot away from her, and smiling down at her. She jumped at his sudden appearance.

"You aren't going to get anything out of him that way, Ms. Manson," Clockwork laughed lightly.

Sam huffed and crossed her arms, "Oh? And how would you suggest I go about it then?"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the kid slowly backing away.

"I'll show you," Clockwork told her as he moved around her toward the boy who had turned to run off.

The master of time snatched Aaron Leon by his cape and pulled him back. The kid yelled in protest as Clockwork dragged him back and scooped him up in one large arm.

"Papa! Put me down!" Aaron demanded as he was cradled by the much larger ghost, "I'm not a little kid anymore you know!"

Clockwork chuckled, "Oh, really?"

Sam's mouth fell open at what happened next. Clockwork, all powerful Master of Time, began to rock the boy and hummed some obscure lullaby that Sam thought she had heard in Dumbo once. Due to Clockwork's large stature and the kid's diminutive size, the boy was like a toddler to him.

Aaron's frustrated frown slowly turned to a yawn and his eyelids began to droop sleepily.

"How is this supposed to get anything out of him?" Sam asked, her arms still crossed.

"Watch." Clockwork told her quietly as he rocked the boy, "Aaron?"

"Mmhm..?" The kid answered drowsily.

"Who am I?" Clockwork asked him.

"Papa..." The kid answered.

Sam blinked in surprise. The word had taken on a new tone and there fore new meaning as the boy said it. It seemed more familial now. Like he really mean that Clockwork was his-

"And where did papa get you?" Clockwork asked softly, almost too quietly for Sam to hear.

"From Daddy..." Aaron yawned.

Clockwork laughed, "No, Aaron. I'm papa, not mama."

Aaron cuddled into the ghosts chest as he slowly began to fall asleep, "Same thing..."

Sam stared at them. The kid sure could spill the beans when he was sleepy.

Clockwork was his _REAL _papa? It _wasn't _a term of endearment? It wasn't a title because of his job? But Clockwork didn't _have _any kids! And who the hell was "Daddy"?

Wait... Aaron calls Clockwork papa, Clockwork "got him" from some one, Clockwork is currently with Dan so in the future that would make Dan... Daddy...

So that made Aaron...

"Clockwork, This doesn't mean..." Sam started in shock, "He's not..."

"He was forbidden to tell you anything. But I think now, it is imparitive that you know." Clockwork told her, gently rocking the boy in his arm, "At least if you want this to end peacefully,"

Sam was about to ask if her suspicion was ture when Dan flew down to land beside them. The two turned to face him, Clockwork setting the drowsy pre-teen down, unsteadily.

Dan's face was sullen and tired. Sam looked down at his hands and saw a familiar sight.

The fenton thermos?

Dan had repaired in in the time he had spent up in the rafters. He had kept the pieces just in case and had put it back together.

The ghost held the device to her. Sam stared up at him in confusion then reached out to take it.

"I don't understand..." She told him.

"If things get ugly..." Dan started quietly, "I want you to put me back in the thermos..."

**DUN DUN DUNNNNN (again).**

**And the secret of Aaron is out! For those of you who haven't already figured it out... I made it pretty obvious lol And though I almost never come out and say it, it's never really been a big secret I've been trying to hide. It's been on my deviant art for a while.**

**By the way, more story art posted. :) Feel free to go and check it out. **

**And if you could do me a favor. When you review, Don't RUSH ME! I'm giving you a chapter a day in most cases! Try a little patience please. I set excited over nothing when I get reviews that only tell me to hurry up and post another chapter. I can only assume that means you like it but I dont know why. So can we please not rush the author? please?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. :)**


	22. Confrontation

**Long chapter ahead. **

If there was ever a perfect example of the calm before the storm this was it. It seemed that all of the Ghost Zone had become silent as the inevitable approached. It was as if the very world was anticipating what was going to happen. Danny knew what had to be done, and Dan knew what he had to do to keep that from happening.

Two different plans, two different outcomes, both ultimately after the same thing. Both just wanted their lives to be normal and peaceful again. For every one to be happy again and to stop the fighting.

But what was the solution to stopping the fighting? Was it surrender or more violence? That is what they would soon find out.

Dan stood in the viewing room, arms crossed, eyes to the floor. He was waiting with an eerie calm that was starting to scare Sam.

She didn't know what to think of his plan. Was trapping him again really the best option? What would that accomplish? How would that help anything by just going back into the Fenton Thermos and giving up?

Unless that was what he was trying to do. To give up and show Danny that he had decided that he didn't want to fight? Which was strange because wanting to fight Danny is what this was all about up till now. Why the sudden change of heart? Had Sam's words left that much of an impression that he couldn't face Danny? Was it for the sake of the baby that Dan was giving up?

Sam looked beside her to see Clockwork sitting agaisnt the wall, Aaron curled protectively into his side. The boy was terrified and anxious. Why Clockwork didn't just send him back to his own time confused Sam. But ultimately Clockwork always knew best.

"Papa, I'm scared..." Aaron whispered loud enough for the goth to hear.

"I know, Aaron. It will be okay. I wont let you get hurt..." Clockwork told him, stroking the child's golden locks tenderly.

Sam stared at them, her eyes narrowed and confused. If Aaron Leon was who Sam thought he was, then why was he a ghost? Why was his skin blue and why did he have red eyes? It made no sense to her. The genetics wouldn't have allowed for an all ghost child. And this kid looked more like Clockwork and Dan's child rather than Sam and Danny's.

It was still so hard for her to wrap her mind around. This little boy, this innocent, beautiful boy was her own child in twelve years. And here he was, having to pretend he's some one else to maintain the timeline. He was forced to get Danny to dislike him, while still helping him to find Sam. If Danny became friends with the boy it could cause the time line to change in some way.

Sam walked over and sat on her legs in front of them. She looked beween Aaron and Clockwork slowly.

"I know you must be confused." Clockwork stated, "But in time everything will reveal itself."

"BUt I dont understand," Sam said with a frown, "How is _this _our child?" She motioned at the frightened pre-teen, "He's a ghost."

Clockwork looked to the child beside him and smiled. He reached out and grasped the time medallion hung about his neck and turned it slightly in his fingers.

"You should know by now, Ms. Manson, that these are for more than anchoring yourself in a timeline." The master of time stated.

Sam blinked, "He's disguised like this? But why? We wouldn't have recognised him..."

"Trust me, you would have," Clockwork assured her, "Parents have a way of recognising their children."

Sam frowned and looked over her shoulder to Dan standing in the distance, "Does he know?"

"About Aaron? No." Clockwork anwered with a shake of his head, "And it is best that he doesn't find out,"

"But you two arent exactly being secretive," Sam motioned between them and the position they were in, "He's going to figure it out."

"Perhaps." Clockwork shrugged one shoulder, "But right now his mind is far too focused on the battle than on me."

"Must break your heart," Sam joked with a smirk.

Clockwork only shook his head and smirked at the floor. Aaron sat up suddenly and looked around them.

"What is it?" Sam asked with a deep frown.

"You didn't hear that?" Aaron leon asked fearfully.

"Hear what-"

BOOM

The door to the tower was kicked in suddenly and forcefully. Sam hopped up allong with Clockwork and Aaron. Dan stayed where he was but turned partially to look back. He knew who it was and anticipated such an entrance.

"Dan!" Danny called angrilly as he stepped in.

Sam gasped slightly at seeing him. He had taken on an unnatural green glow, electricity danced over his body and his hair waved of his own accord. His normally tanned ghost flesh was paler than ever and on his face rested a new pair of black shades.

"Welcome, Danny." Dan said simply, "What kept you?"

"What? Your little messanger boy didn't tell you?" Danny asked stepping in further and glaring at Aaron from behind his glasses.

Sam was shocked to see him like this. His powers were flowing out of him from his anger. But the second his eyes fell on her he was calm.

"Sam!"

The goth barely had time to react before Danny was apon her. He lifted her up in his arms and held her agaisnt him tightly.

"Sam, I'm so happy to see you." He whispered to her as he took her face in his hands, "Did he hurt you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Sam assured him with tearfilled eyes, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Danny kissed her lips quickly, "And I'll never leave you again, I promise."

Sam smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She looked up and she could see his beautiful blue eyes sparkling down at her. They looked a shade darker than usual but she thought nothing of it. She had her Danny back.

Danny looked away from her and glared at Dan, "You better not have harmed one hair on her head, Dan!"

"I never touched her," Dan said calmly. Which was true. The only time he ever hurt her was long range with a low powered ghost ray.

"Freeze, ghost!"

Sam watched Dan turn to face the door again, maddie standing just inside with an armed Fenton Bazooka. Dan made no move toward her and looked over her shoulder as the rest of Danny's group filed in. Sam was surprised to see that Walker was there. He wasn't the usual suspect for helping people.

No doubt he wanted to arrest Dan.

Sam pushed Danny off of her and moved to put herself between Maddie and Dan.

"Mrs. Fenton, wait!" She shouted, trying to prevent her from firing.

"Sam's right, mom." Danny agreed, "I'll take care of this. Technus, grab Sam."

Sam was about to protest when the Master of Technology appeared behside her. He put a hand on her shoulder and led her to just outside the door of the tower. Sam looked up at him and could tell that he was extremely tired, and very weak.

"What happened to you?" She asked furrowing her brow.

"Long story..." Technus told her softly, "You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine!" Sam snapped, "You have to stop Danny. This is all one big mistake!"

"You've got that right, Sam," Tucker agreed with her, "Dan made a big mistake kidnapping you. Now Danny's going to show him why."

Sam groaned and ran her hands down her face.

Inside the tower Danny looked over to Clockwork to see him standing in front of the ghost kid almost protectively. The halfa frowned deeper at seeing the little punk.

"So, Clockwork, choosing sides now?" Danny asked cynically.

The master of time said nothing in responce.

"He's not involved in this, Danny," Dan said, putting himself between the boy and Clockwork, "You're hear for me."

Danny smirked, "That's more like it."

And without warning he shot an electrical blast at Dan, sending him flying backwards. Danny gpaed and looked down at his own palms with a grin.

"Alright, Dad!" He cheered, gratefull for the new found power.

"You've gotten a little better," Dan stated dryly as he stood.

"Way better!" Danny affirmed as he charged up another blast and sent it at Dan, "What's wrong, _Dan_? Where's that fighting spirit we always had?"

"I gave it the day off," Dan replied as he sat up on the floor. He held up his hand and sent a green beam of energy at Danny.

The halfa ducked and it hit the wall behind him. He looked back at the smoking impact mark and smirked.

"You're off your game, Dan." Danny taunted, enjoying his new found edge. He flew off of the groundm grinning, "I on the other hand-"

Danny fired a ghost ray at Dan, sending him backwards to slid across the floor on his back. Dan gave a groan of pain as he skidded to a stop.

"Have never felt better!" Danny finished, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Danny, wait!" Sam called out from behind his search party, "You dont understand!"

Danny looked back as Sam wa grabbed by Walker during her attempt to run out into the battle.

"You'll get yourself killed if you try that," The warden told her sternly, "Let the kid handle this."

Danny couldn't hear her protests but it was clear she didn't want him to fight. The halfa watched as his older self rose fromt he floor. He dusted himself off calmly as if he had just tripped.

Danny glared at him, "What is _with _you? No threats? No jabs at my life?"

"You're the one who hangs out with Technus," Dan pointed out, "If anyone would have a prepared speech it would be you."

Danny sneered, "Very funny. The only thing I wanted to say to you is "Stay away from my family"!"

Danny fired a high voltage electricity blast at Dan to prove he meant the words. Dan gaped slightly and cried out as he was shocked mercilessly. As Danny let up the attack Dan fell to his knees, his cape falling around his shoulders. Dannt flew over to land in front on him and kneeled so he was at eye level with the ghost.

"Do you have anything to add?" Danny asked in a dangerous tone.

Dan breathed heavily and glared up at Danny, "No."

Danny frowned again and stood, "So I guess this is where you tell me you don't want to fight? Skipper over there told me to try 'talking'."

Dan glanced back as Danny motioned to Aaron. The larger of the two stood to his full height and looked down at Danny blankly. Danny stared him down bravely, ready for anything.

"If fighting me will settle this for you then get on with it." Dan told him with narrow red eyes, "Otherwise, go be with your fiance."

Danny's eyes widedn in surprise. When he didn't respond Dan turned away, his cape swooshing behind him, and walked away. Danny watched him go with a slack jaw.

"Danny!" Sam pushed her way out of Walker's hold and ran to his side.

Danny put an arm around her but continued to stare at dan. That was it? He was just giving up?

"That's our big climax?" Danny asked loudly, "That's IT? This is how we settle this? You just walk away?"

"Danny, calm down," Sam told him quietly.

"No! I won't!" Danny told her, "I want answers! What's going on here? Why don't you want to fight me, Dan?"

Danny was riled up now and was determined to fight Dan. Even if he didnt put Dan down for good Danny wanted a crack at him!

Dan sighed and turned around just before he got to Clockwork, "Danny..."

The teen stood slightly from his battle ready stance as Dan spoke.

"Danny, You have your fiance. Just go." Dan told him, nodding his head toward the door, "I'm sure you two have plenty to talk about.."

Danny looked down at Sam to see her smiling lightly up at him. She hugged his arm gently and gave him a meaningful look.

"What's going on here?" Walker asked, "You're just letting her go after holding her prisoner for a month?"

"Yeah, What gives?" Technus asked.

Maddie remained silent, a conflicted look on her face.

Dan shook his head, "Trust me when I say this isn't over, Danny. We will settle this eventually... But not like this."

Danny growled and unconciously summoned up electricity in his fists, "You wanna bet on that?"

"Danny no!"

But before Sam could stop him Danny unleashed another electrical attack on Dan. The nergy wrapped around the ghost causing him to roar out in pain. Danny pushed more enrgy through it for a moment then pulled back, letting Dan free. The halfa gently pushed Sam off of him and stomped foreward toward Dan.

"You are not going to get away that easily!" Danny told him, grabbing his older self by the collar and pulling him up, "You threatened the life of my fiance and my unborn child. You'll pay for that."

Dan gave him a level stare and Danny was suddenly blown backward by him fist connecting with the boy's stomache. Danny did a back flip in the air and landed front first on the floor of the tower. He pushed himself up with a grunt and smirked with narrow eyes.

That's more like it.

Danny stood, brushing some stray hair from his eyes. He clenched his fists in front of him and flew at Dan. He caught the large male by the waist and dragged him down onto the floor. Before Dan could react Danny began to punch Dan in the face, alternating fists.

"Danny! Stop!" Sam shouted behind him.

Danny couldn't believe she was trying to prevent him from hurting her own kidnapper. Danny gasped when his fists were clenched tightly by larger hands and squeazed. He shouted in pain as his knuckles were unwillingly popped. The pain in his hands was relieved swiftly when he was thrown backwards onto the floor.

Before he could get up, Dan was apon him. Dan kneeled over him, hands pinning down Danny's arms. The younder of the two thrashed for freedome and attempted to hit Dan with an ice blast from his eyes. Dan simply cocked his head to the side to dodge it.

"I never threatened _your _child." Dan told him lowly.

Danny blinked in confusion at him, "What?"

"Ask your future wife what I mean." Dan said, releasing Danny's arms and scooting back so Danny could sit up, "She'll tell you that I never hurt her. I never put her in any danger."

"Being anywhere near you is dangerous," Danny told him with a narrow glare.

Dan didnt respond to that. He just continued, "Danny, I've come to realise something... Whether either of us want to accept it, I'm still you. I've always been you. And I've been running from that fact for years. Until recently it hasnt been able to catch up with me..."

"What are you saying?" Danny asked, still sitting on the floor.

"I'm saying that no matter how hard I try, no matter what bad things I do to try and get away from being you, I'll still be Danny Phantom on the inside..." Dan told him quietly, his eyes downcast, "And doing evil was never supposed to be my path... And fankly, I dont want it to be my path anymore... And by refusing to fight you now... I'm hoping to start off on a new one." He looked back at Clockwork over his smiled fondly, "A better one."

Danny looked between the two ghosts for a moment, "Are you two..."

"We're together," Clockwork spoke up.

"Eeew!" Tucker called from behind Maddie.

Danny frowned, "Clockwork, is _that _why you're helping him?"

The master of time nodded once and Dan stood up to tower over Danny.

The teen looked up at his older self in disbelief, "You and Clockwork? But why?"

Dan then gave a sincere smile and turned to his apparent partner. He held out a hand and Clockwork flated up to him and took it cautiously. Dan looked down into his ruby eyes and the next words he said shocked Danny.

"I love him."

The room went silent. Even the tower seemed to stop ticking for a moment.

"You... WHAT?" Danny asked, not believing what he had heard, "Can you even feel love?"

"You love me?" Clockowork asked with a smile recieving a short nod as an answer.

Clockwork flung his arms around Dan's middle and held him close. Dan tilted his face up and planted a slow kiss on his lips. Aaron make a barfing noise in the background at the contact.

"Aaaw." Maddie cooed from the sidelines, "That is so romantic!"

"In a really weird kind of way..." Walker added with a sneer.

"Wow... He's really gay." Technus said in astonishment, "Go figure."

Danny hopped up to his feet, "That still doesnt explain anything to me. You just all of a sudden decided to go good?"

"Pretty much, yeah," dan answered as he continued to embrace the time keeper.

Sam walked up besider her betrothed, "Danny, I know you must find this hard to believe-"

"I find this _impossible _to believe!" Danny snapped at her, "Ghosts like him don't just change, Sam."

"You're right." She answered, "Just like a good ghost can't just change to evil."

This silence Danny long enough for her to put in her word.

"Danny, I knwo this is hard, but Dan really is making an effort. Letting me go was just the first step." Sam told him, "His public intentions may have been to get back at you through the baby but all he really wanted was to keep the child from experienceing the heartbreak and loss that he's endured. Dan has suffered for 14 years and now is his chance to finally be happy and start his life over and do it right."

Danny couldnt believe what he was hearing. Dan was trying to change? And Sam was on his side?

"Do us a favor and listen to her, kid," Dan said quietly, resting his head on top of Clockwork's casually, "You probably know how much better she is with words than us."

Danny could repress a humored snort. He exhaled and rubbed his brow tiredly.

"Fine. I'll listen." Danny said quickly with a glare at Dan, "But that doesn't mean I trust you."

"Good. You shouldn't."

**HAHA! Just when you guys thought there was going to be a big epic fighting scene! Don't worry y'all it's coming ;)**


	23. Breaking and Entering

You could cut the tension with a knife. Danny stared down Dan for what seemed like an hour. Dan however, ignored him completely. It seemed as though he actually did want Danny to just take Sam and go.

And from how he was kissing Clockwork he looked like he wanted his privacy.

Maddie and Technus were vigorously checking up Sam. They ran scans of her body, checked her vitals and listened to her stomach to see if the baby was alright. She assured them that he would make it but they didn't want to take any chances. Technus was wholely surprised to find that, except for a lack in exeercise, Sam was at peek physical condition.

"Danny, maybe Sam is right about Dan," Tucker said quietly, walking up to his best friend, "Maybe he isn't a bad guy after all..."

"Not a bad guy?" Danny asjed, whrilling around to face Tucker, "Tuck, have you forgotten that he tried to kill you both?"

The techno geek frowned, "Yeah, four years ago. People can change, Danny. It's not like anyone's even given him a chance before Sam and Clockwork."

Danny growled in his throat, "I still don't trust him."

Tucker exhaled, "You had no problem giving Technus a chance..."

He walked away leaving Danny to his thoughts. Danny knew Tucker was right. He had allowed Technus a chance to change but wasn't allowing that same luxury for Dan. But Technus was different. Technus was Danny's father and actually wanted to be there for him. Dan was insane!

And making out with Clockwork...

How that relationship got started Danny would never know. But the halfa shuddered at the thought of his older self doing _anything _with a man. Let alone one of Danny's friends.

"Danny."

The boy looked up to see that Clockwork had managed to pull himself away from Dan for a moment and was calling him over. Danny walked over warily, unsure whether or not he wanted to be near them at this point.

"Dan and I have been talking-" Clockwork started but Danny interupted him.

"If that's your version of talking I'd hate to see what you do when you're really into it..." Danny joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit. He hated tension.

Clockwork chuckled and Dan glanced around nervously, his hands stilll of the ghost of time's hips.

"we've been talking and there's something Dan would like to say to you." Clockwork finished giving his -shudder- boyfriend an expectant stare.

"Do I have to? I'll sound stupid." Dan grouched.

"Yes, you have to," Clockwork assured him, "It's the first step."

Danny looked between them, unsure of what to expect. Dan inhaled and let it out slowly as he turned his head to face Danny.

"I'm... Sorry..." Dan choked out as if the words were hurting him, "I'm sorry for everything..."

Danny blinked at his older self once. Twice. Three times.

"What?" He asked in confusion, "_You're _apologizing?"

"If you don't want it I can take it back," Dan said with a displeased frown, "I'm making an effort here."

Danny crossed his arms, "Apology not excepted. Not until you can prove that you've really changed."

Dan scoffed and rolled his eyes, "And how do you suggest I do that? Marter myself?"

"That would help," Danny said with a snide grin.

"Alright, children, that's enough," Clockwork told them with an amused smirk. He looked over his shoulder, "Aaron, come here please."

The blonde ghost walked over slowly and looked up at the three of them, "Yeah?"

"Nothing. I just want you over here by me." Clockwork told him, which confused everyone.

"Who is this kid anyway?" Anny asked pointing his thumb at the boy, "And why did you send him to harass me?"

Clockwork laughed, "I told him to lead you here. The harassment was all his idea."

Aaron Leon laughed nervously at this, "My bad... In my defence, would you have bothered to listen to me?"

Danny pressed his lips into a line. He probably wouldnt have.. He looked over his shoulder as he heard Technus approach. The master of Technology stood behind Danny, giving Dan a wary yet still very angry look. Dan didn't return the look in any way. He just lowered his eyes in a form of surrender. Danny was actually pretty pleased to see this. Not that he would let Dan know that.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Technus asked crossing his arms, "We just move on and act like this never happened?"

"Not quite," Clockwork said, pulling himself completely out of Dan's grip, "There are still a lot of things that are left to be taken care of."

"Like what?" Danny asked.

And as if on que, a large blast dueenly cut through the group of people standing near the door. No one was greatly harmed but they were pushed back with enough force to knock them out.

Danny and Technus turned to face the attackers as did Dan. Clockwork on the otherhand remained still, knowing what was going to happen before any one else did. His biggest movement was reached out to pull the twelve year old closer to his side.

"Papa what-"

"Shh. Just stay close to me," Clockwork told him gently.

Danny gasped with a slack Jaw when he saw who had come. About six observants were grouped in front of them, hands glowing with a stange energy.

"I thought these things were only supposed to observe," Dan said quietly.

"They're desperate." Clockwork noted with narrow eyes then adreesed the observants, "I know why you're here and I suggest you leave now."

"I do not think so, Clockwork." One said.

"We have listened to your word long enough," Another added, "And have ever since regretted it."

"What are you talking about?" Dan asked with narrow eyes, "I'd love to see _you _do his job!"

"Clockwork was charged with the task of preserving the time line," An observant stated, "And has broken almost every rule of temporal displacement."

"With the bull shit charges you tried to put on Vortex, you shouldn't be surprised that we don't believe you," Danny said agressively.

"Ah, but this time we have proof," One Observant said raising an accusing finger in their direction, "That child is all the validation we need."

Danny looked back to see Aaron staring that the green ghosts with wide, frightened eyes. Him? What importance was he?

"What does he have to do with anything?" Dan asked, vocalizing Danny's thoughts.

"Clockwork sent him back from the future to ensure the timeline would go down a certain path," An Observant said.

"Well, isn't that what you want him to do?" Technus asked, confused, "He's maintaining the time line like you said."

"This is not maintaining it's pushing it in a certain direction." The observant corrected him, "He is pushing the time line in the direction that favors him."

"That's a load and you know it." Clockwork said with an annoyed frown as he held the boy closer to him.

"We shall see." The lead Observant said slowly.

"You can prove us wrong by maintaining the timeline without the child." Another added, raising his hand quickly.

No one could react fast enough. A blue beam shot foreward and encased the boy, ripping him away from Clockwork's side.

"Aaron!" Clockwork shouted as he pounded his fists agaisnt the forcefield.

"Papa!" The child cried as he tried desperately to escape. He shot at the ball around him but the blast merely bounced off of the inside and flew back at him. He fell backwards to lay akwardly and in pain.

Danny gaped in shock, "What are you doing? He's just a kid!"

"A kid meddling in a time that isn't his own." An observant said coarsely, "Because of him secrets have been leaked about the future."

Clockwork growled and turned away from the trapped boy, "Let him go. Now!"

"You can see the future, Clockwork," The cyclopse in the front stated, "You should know what happens next."

"Just because I saw it doesn't mean I can't try and stop it," Clockwork assuered them, gripping his staff tightly.

"Clockwork, don't." Dan told him, gripping the time keeper by the shoulders.

Both Danny and Clockwork looked back at him hin confusion. For different reasons of course. Danny was fully confused as to why Dan was actuallu preventing violence. And Clockwork... His reasons escaped Danny.

Aaron got up and slammed his shouder into the force field around him repeatedly. He beat his fists agaisnt it desperately but got no where.

"Papa, get me out of here!" He begged.

Clockwork turned back to face him and places his hands agaisnt the blue sphere, "Don't worry, Aaron, I'll figure this out." He turned back to Dan, "Why did you stop me?"

"Because I don't want you risking your life," Dan told him sternly, "I'll take care of this."

Danny and Technus moved aside as Dan stepped foreward. Without giving the Observants anywarning he sucked in a large breath and unleashed his ghostly wail. Danny and his father covered their ears protectively and shouted for Clockwork and Aaron to do the same.

The building shook and the observants were thrown backwards. The knocked out people on the floor slid across the floor but were left unharmed. The green ghosts merged their powers and put up a sheild in front of them.

Dan stopped his assult when he couldn't break through.

"A valiant attempt." One said sarcasticaly, "But wasted."

They all turned with wide eyes as the orb containing the boy dissapered.

"AARON!" Clockwork bellowed with wide eyes, "No!"

"He shall pay for your crimes, Clockwork." The lead observant said.

The master of tme was frozen, just staring at the spot that the ghost boy had once been in. Dan walked over and tried to shake him out of his shock but it did no good.

Was Aaron... gone? Gone, gone?

"Clockwork, snap out of it!" Dan shouted as he vigorously shook the ghost's shoulders.

Clockwork looked up at him, tears slowly starting to form around the rims of his eyes. Slowly he started to tremble as fear took over his face.

"Dan... They... They have..." He couldn't even finish the sentence. He curled into Dan's chest with his hands over his face as he tried to block out the images that he must have been seeing.

Danny looked back and forth from Clockwork to the observants. Anger was rising in his gut at what they had caused. Clockwork, the strongest ghost any of them had ever known, was in tears because of these monsters. Danny didn't know why this kid was so import, but he was still a kid. He was an annoying little punk but he hadn't done anything really wrong.

Gee, the irony of this situation was staggering.

"You.. You monsters!" Danny shouted, gathering energy in his palms.

"Danny don't-!"

With a roar of pure hatetred Danny unleashed the most powerful blast of ecto energy and electricity that he could manage. The Observants seemed to gasp in unison and raised their shield again, larger than the last time. Danny just continued to attack with no sign of letting up.

"He was just a kid!" Danny shouted as he continued to blast them, "If anyone should be punished it's YOU!"

The shield infront of the ghosts was slowly being pushed backward, casuing them to slide back against their own will. They exchanged looks of panic between one another then the one in the front took charge.

"ENOUGH!"

The shield Danny was firing apon suddenly pushed back. It began to come at danny at staggering speeds making the halfa drop his attack in surprise. He cried out as he was engulfed in the blue light it caused.

His body writhed and sparked. Beside him danny could hear Technus going through the same thing.

After a long minute the assult stopped and Technus and Danny both fell onto the ground. Danny breathed heavily as he looked up at the cyclopic attackers.

"You shall all pay for your meddling." The leading Observant promised, "Order will be kept. By any means nessessary."

Danny had no energy to get up as they teleported away. He exhaled tiredly and his head fell onto the hard wood floor with a thump.

"Danny!" A voice called.

"Sam?" Danny rolled his eyes around to look up and saw her black boots running toward him.

Maddie groaned as she sat up, pushing walker off of her back. They had all ended up in an awkward pile when they were pushed back.

"What happened?" She asked dizzily.

"The observants..." Clockwork breathed shakily, "They.. Th-They got Aaron..."

"No!" Sam cried, "Couldn't you have stopped them?"

"My time powers don't work on the Observants..." The master of time told her, "They exist outside of time... There was nothing I could do... I thought I could protect him..."

"Is he..." Maddie started to ask but couldnt finish the question.

"He's still alive," Clockwork answered, "But what they will do to him is a fate worse than death..."

Danny tried to sit up but his limbs were weak. As Sam reached him she put her arms under him to lift him up. He groaned but allowed himself to be rolled onto his back. As this happened he caught a glimpse of Technus.

Nicolai's black hair was messy and splayed around his head as he lay face first on the ground.

Wait.. Black hair?

"Dad?" Danny asked uncontiously as he pushed away from Sam to crawl over.

Technus groaned slightly as Danny grabbed his shoulder. Danny looked him over quickly. His clothes didn't have any holes and there was no ectoplasm pooling around hiim to signify injury. So he seemed fine enough. Danny rolled him over and jumped back at what he saw.

Pale white skin. Danny reached out hesitantly to touch his fathers face and found it warm. He immediately jerked his fingers back.

"What happened to me?" Technus asked hazily as he reached up to rub his head.

"You..." Danny paused to stare at him, "You're... alive?"

**How did this happen? Well, that will be explained soon enough I promise. And it's not a totally stupid explaination either xP **

**Keep Aaron in your prayers.**


	24. Panic

**Sorry for the late update. The internet connection here is shit. I keep losing it every time I try and upload this stupid thing. And I aplogize again for the spelling mistakes. I don't have spell check on my computer and the one the site is supposed to have doesn't work for me.**

* * *

><p>"WHAT THE HELL?"<p>

Technus jumped up almost immediately and looked down at himself. His clothes were the same but his flesh was warmer, softer... He ripped his gloves from his hands and gaped down at his bare fingers. He had pale white flesh. His glow was completely gone and he could feel blood in his veins again. He pulled off his glasses for a moment to look at his reflection and saw blue eyes staring back at him.

"This is so weird..." Danny said as he circled his father, "They just.. brought you back to life..."

"Is that even possible?" Dan asked raising a brow, "I know it's possible to destroy a ghost, but bringing one_ back to life_?"

"The energy must have rebounded from the combination of Danny's attack and that protective forcefield." Maddie suggested, "Is it possible that the ghostly energy could have collided and created a life giving effect."

"He's not alive..." Clockwork said quietly, his eyes still glued to the floor, "It's a temporary physical change..."

Danny looked at him curiously, "But how did this happen?"

"Just like your mother said," Clockwork stated dryly, "The colliding ecto energies. The energies of two non living things collided and canceled out the energy, creating a form of temporary life... Had you not been attacking back at them... Let's just say you would be worse off then Aaron right now..."

"What happened to him?" Walker asked as he inspected the place Aaron had once been.

Clockwork didn't answer. He continued to stare at the floor, his hood pulled down so they could barely see his eyes. Even the few of them who had never seen Clockwork before wouldn't have expected this from him.

"Dude, are you okay?" Tucker asked, leaning over slightly to look at the ghost's face.

"Of course I'm not okay!" Clockwork snapped, looking up at him, "Do you have any idea the sevarity of the situation? They have Aaron! They're going to-" He cut himself off, practically gagging on the sentence.

Danny frowned at how much pain Clockwork was obviously in. When he changed to his child form he just looked down right helpless.

"What are they going to do to him?" Danny asked slowly.

Clockwork just shook his head and said nothing.

The halfa stepped up to him, "Clockwork, if there's any chance we can save him, I need to know!"

The master of time was silent for a moment, mouth opening and closing in hesitation. Dan placed a steady hand on his shoulder causing Clockwork to look up at him. The purple cloaked ghost changed back to his middle aged form and exhaled to try and calm himself.

"They... They're going to..." He paused to cringe, "They plan to experiment on him... Turn him into a vile... horrible creature to do their bidding..."

Sam gasped loudly, "No! What would they ever do that to him?"

"I... I can't think about it anymore..." Clockwork put his hands over his face, "The more I think about it the more I see... It's too horrible..."

"It's okay..." Dan told him quietly as he rubbed Clockwork's shoulder, "Just relax.. We can figure this out."

"Where do we find the Observants?" Maddie asked with a determined glare, "I say we bust in there and get that boy back."

"It wont work," Clockwork assured her, "Alone an Observant is easy to handle. But when many of the group together like we just saw, they have incredible power."

"But you're the ghost of time!" Technus said with raised brows, "You're leagues above any of them!"

"Yes but unfortunately my powers dont work on them." The time keeper sulked, "If they werent immune I wouldn't have allowed them to take Aaron..."

"So what do we do?" Walker asked from the back of the group.

"We make a plan and do what Mom said," Danny told him with a frown.

Tucker turned to him, "But Clockwork said-"

"Doesn't matter!" Danny cut him off, "as annoying as that kid was, I can't jsut stand by and let them hurt him! And some how I think this is connected to why they were after Vortex."

"Oh no..." Technus' eyes went wide behind his glasses, "Vortex.. You think They'll go after him again?"

"Only one way to find out." Sam said with a new kind of determination that no one but her could understand, "Let's go find that overgrown cloud and make sure he steers clear of these green magic eight balls."

"I dont think we have to tell him that," Tucker pointed out, "He's done a pretty good job of that on his own,"

"Walker, Maddie and Tucker, You go." Clockwork said, composing himself, "Danny, Sam and Technus, I need to speak with you."

"What about me?" Dan asked, furrowing his brow.

"Who said you were going anywhere?" Clockwork smirked slightly at him.

Dan smiled back lightly, continuing to massage a spot behind Clockwork's neck to calm him. It appeared to be working slightly, but no one could deny the fact that Clockwork was still very on edge.

The team going to find Vortex set off in the Specter Speeder without another word. Their objective was to secure him and make sure the observants didnt get to him or already hadn't. If they were planning on turning Aaron into their personal puppet who knew what they had planned for a ghost like Vortex.

Danny and sam sat together, hands intertwined and in eachothers arms, on a couch Clockwork had some how aquired. Danny was doing his best to quell the trembling coming from his fiancee. She was a nervous wreck. She was more anxious now than she had appeared when Danny ahd come to rescue her.

Clockwork and dan floated in front of them, speaking briefly about why Dan needed to leave the room for the moment. Dan was refusing and wondering what was so important that he couldn't hear. Clockwork denied him an answer and sent hiim away.

The future Mr and Mrs. Fenton looked up at the Master of Time expectantly as he turned to them.

"Sam, I'm sure you know what this is about.." He stated cooly.

She nodded quickly, biting her lower lip. danny glanced between them in confusion.

"What am I missing here?" He asked them.

Sam turned to him, "Danny, there's something you need to know about Aaron..." She paused to glance at Clockwork, getting a nod, "He's not just another ghost..."

Danny shrugged one shoulder, "Well he does work for Clockwork..."

"That's not what I mean..." She stopped him, "And he doesnt exactly _work _for Clockwork..."

Danny frowned at her, "I dont understand."

She gave him a halfhearted smile and placed Danny's hand over the baby bump on her stomache.

"Meet little Aaron." She said quietly.

A small bit of his sanity was then chipped away.

Danny's eyes went wide, "WHAT?"

"Please, Danny, keep your voice down," Clockwork told him sternly.

Danny looked between them, "You mean that kid is my SON from the future?"

"More or less..." Clockwork said with a slight shrug.

"But I attacked him! I tried to fight him!" Danny exclaimed, horror rushing through him, as he turned to Clockwork, "You knew all along and you _LET ME_?"

The master of time blinked once, "I knew you wouldn't harm him."

"But I wanted to!" Danny snapped with wide eyes then paused, "Wait... So the observants have my _son_?"

"Actually, danny, they have Clockwork's son," Sam corrected him, earning a small smile from the time keeper.

The halfa looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"Clockwork is going to adopt the baby," The goth told him with a smile, "We've already talked about it."

"Well that's all fine and dandy, but isn't he with DAN?" Danny asked, his blood pressure spiking, "This all started because that bastard was after the kid now we're just going to _give _it to him?"

"Danny, calm down," Sam said calmly, "Trust me, I wouldn't walk into this blindly. I've seen him change in this last month and there _is _good in him. You just have to find it."

"And how long will it take to 'find it'?" Danny asked using air quotes, "I havent seen him do one good thing!"

"He let me go, didn't he?" The girl asked, narrowing her eyes slightly, "He refused to fight you, didn't he? Danny, he's different now. He changed for Clockwork."

Danny glanced over at the master of time to see him smiling almost bashfully.

"That still doesn't mean I'm okay with giving him the baby." Danny crossed his arms, "And how could you make that decision without me?"

"Because of what you're doing right now!" Sam hopped up from the couch to stand in front of him, "You're letting your hate for Dan blind you from the truth. He's getting better. he's making an effort and went through a major depression in making that change. I still dont think he's completely out of it!"

Danny stared at her, "Sam, can you hear yourself? This is Dan we're talking about! He tried to kill me! He tried to kill _you_!"

"In the past!" Sam retorted, "Danny, since he brought me here, I've been taken care of. And pretty damn well! He's done nothing but be helpful to me and make me comfortable here. He's never harmed me. And with Clockwork... Well..." She gave a faint smile at the ghost, "That's a very different side of him."

"She is right, Danny," Clockwork assured the boy, "I know you will not undedrstand for a while, or even may understand it completely at all... But Dan is trying. He wants this child to be happy and keep it from being hurt like he was."

"Hurt? He was hurt?" Danny asked with afurrowed brow, "When was this? Because I think I missed it."

Danny flashed back to his last battle with were tears int he evil ghost's eyes when he spoke about his family.

_"I never got to say goodbye..."_

Sam placed a small hand on Danny's shoulder, "Danny, if you love me, you will trust me in this..."

Daniel exhaled slowly and looked up at her, "Fine... I trust you."

She smiled but he held up a finger to cut off any reaction she would have.

"But I don't trust him." He told her flatly, "If he really has changed I will need to see it with my own eyes. "

"Danny, he asked me to put him back in the thermos if things didn't work out..." Sam told him with a frown, "I dont think that's something a bad guy would say..."

The halfa lowered his gaze to the floor.

He knew that Sam was telling the truth. And there was really no evidence that Dan had done anything wrong since the kidnapping. And he even used the word "love" when talking about some one other than himself. If this was an act he was one hell of a thespien. And _Danny _sure as hell couldnt act worth a crap.

But how could Danny just forgive Dan for everything he's done and tried to do.

"Can I come out of my corner now?" Dan called loudly from the hall.

Clockwork laughed, "Yes, you can come out now. Bring Technus with you."

The two walked out, Technus a few paces behind Dan. He was looking over the suit Dan was wearing, marveling at the fact that the one he made was identical. Almost imediately Dan slid a possessive arm around Clockwork. This made danny wonder if Dan knew who Aaron really was and what he was getting into.

Not wanting ro risk spilling the beans, Danny didn't say anything.

"So, what's the plan?" Technus asked, ringing his hands slightly.

"Well, I was thinking..." Dan started slowly.

"We're doomed," Clockwork said comicaly.

Dan rolled his eyes, "As I was saying, I was thinking that we get some one on the inside. We can work from the inside out."

"How would we do that?" Danny asked, crossing his arms again, "One person couldn't cripple the observants."

"And I'm pretty useless at the moment." Technus added, "I'd rather spend some time figuring out if there's a way to reverse this."

"We should wait untill every one is at peak condition," sam stated firmly, "We need every one at full streangth... And I think that Dan's plan could work."

Danny looked to her in confusion, "Huh?"

She smirked at Dan recieving a slight smile, "I think I know a way that one person can get us all in under the radar.."

danny looked between the two in confusion, "Guys? A little insight would be nice!"

"I'll explain later. We don't want to tip the observants off too early." She told him, grabbing Danny by the arm, "For now, I think we all need a rest. Everyone else can too once they get back with Vortex." She lead Danny away, "Come on, we'll use my bed. Technus, you can use Dan's."

Technus looked very uncomfortable with that, "Um..."

Dan looked offended, "Well, where am _I _supposed to sleep then?"

"Ask your boyfriend." Sam shouted over her shoulder.

Danny cringed at the thought, "Sam!"

Dan watched them go and shook his head. He turned to Technus and gave an akward half smile. Considering the violent history they had, half of it in an alternate timeline, this was uncomfortable for both parties. Clockwork just floated beside them in somber silence.

"So, uh.. Where's your room?" Technus finally asked after a moment.

"Right down the hall on the left." Dan told him, "My name's on the door. You can't miss it..."

The now living man nodded gratefully and walked away. Dan watched him go, not fully believing he was related to a man that skinny.

"Thank you for trying, Dan," Clockwork said, wrapping his arms around the larger ghost's waist, "You don't know what that means to me..."

"I dont know a lot about you," Dan told him with a smirk, turning around so he was facing the time master. "For example, why you're so bent out of shape over this kid... I've never seen you so down..."

"It's complicated..." Clockwork said hesitantly, diverting his eyes for a moment.

"Another one of those things you can't tell me?" Dan asked, cocking his head.

"Possibly," The master of time pecked him on the lips briefly, "Tired yet?"

"I'm alright." Dan smirked, "Unless you can think of something to wear me out."

The taller male smirked wider when Clockwork's face blushed ever so slightly.

"Not yet, darling," Clockwork told him, kissing him slowly.

Dan cupped the time keepers face and pulled him foreward to deepen the kiss. He reached under the purple hood to wind his fingers into the wavy locks under it. He gave a slight tug making the master of time wimper slightly.

"Don't do that." He growled out.

"Hurt?" Dan asked with a slight smirk.

"No." Clockwork answered, "It just makes it very hard to wait."

'Phantom's smirk turned into a wicked grin, "Oh really?"

"Don't even think about it," Clockwork warned him, pushing Dan away gently and floated away.

Dan frowned at first then smirked, "Oh, I see. You're the only one who's allowed to tease."

Clockwork looked over his shoulder slyly at him, "I dont know what you're talking about."

"Oh really?" The former halfa walked up, putting his hands on Clockwork's hips and leaning in close to his ear, lips practically touching the soft skin,"You don't remember the dressing room? If I remember right your hand was _in _my pants."

Clockwork chuckled but said nothing, remaining still.

"And that little tail of yours..." Dan hissed, bringing his body closer, "It made the first move at the festival."

He flicked his tongue out over the smooth skin of Clockwork's neck making the time keeper inhale sharply.

"Dan..." Clockwork breathed, almost making the ghost in question shudder.

The time ghost reached over his shoulder, curling his arm around Dan's neck, pulling him closer. Dan smirked, planting kisses on any ghostly flesh he could reach. It didnt even bother him that it was a man that was turning him on. It had become second nature now to be this close to Clockwork. No one else in the world, human or ghost variety, had this effect on him.

Dan growled against Clockwork's blue skin, his fingers tracing the sash around his boyfriend's waist. He could feel Clockwork's hand on the back of his neck and moving higher.

And then suddenly, without warning-

YANK!

"Ow!"

Clockwork laughed loudly, "Not fun is it?"

Needless to say, Dan went to bed that night, frustrated in more ways than one.


	25. Plan II

It was a restless sleep for everyone. At least, for those of them that could get to sleep. Danny was laying up all night just staring at the ceiling. He would turn to look at Sam, see her sleeping peacefully and wonder how she could stand it when they're son was in danger.

Then again, it would do no good to go into battle tired. They all needed their rest.

Danny rolled onto his side to face the wall. He closed his eyes and tried to let sleep take him. But nothing worked.

Where was Nocturne when you needed him?

Danny reopened his sky blue eyes with a huff. He still couldnt believe that Dan of all people was the one Sam chose to take their child. Sure, he'd be watched by Clockwork but it still didnt make him trustworthy. What could Sam see in him that Danny couldnt? Was there really a good person under all that evil? Was he still human on the inside?

Danny groaned, grabbing his pillow from under his head and pulling it over his face. Maybe if he smothered himself this would end sooner.

"Well you're nto going to solve anything that way."

Danny jumped, sitting up abruptly. So fast that the blood rushed out of his head. He shook his dizziness away and looked around him. He blinked when he saw the shrunken down form of Nocturne at the end of his bed. He was sitting indian style with his hands folded in his lap on the end of the matress. Danny wondered how long he had been there.

"I was just thinking about you," Danny mused with a smirk that quickly faded, "What are you doing here?"

"Your ragtag group of lackies hunted me down," The sleep ghost shrugged, "Though I'm fkattered that you were thinking of me."

Danny flushed slightly in embarassment, "Right... They were supposed to just go find you not bring you here."

"Yes... Well, things didnt go exactly to plan for anyone..." Nocturne stated quietly, "We were attacked.

Danny hopped up onto his knees, jostling the bed slightly. Sam stirred but didnt wake up.

"Attacked? Was it the observants?" He asked anxiously.

Nocturne nodded his horned head, "Yes. They came after Vortex again... And from what your mother told me about what the Obvservants want with my nephew, it cannot be good that they are after vorex as well..."

"Your nephew... You know?" The halfa asked in surprise.

The ghost of dreams laughed with his head back, "Of course I know. It is hard to keep the truth from a ghost who can see into your very subconcious."

Danny looked beside him to his fiance and slowly rose from the bed.

"Let's talk somewhere else so we don't wake her up." He told Nocturne, who complied by floating up and landing on the floor silently.

They left the room quietly, shutting the door behind them. Danny was actually amazed by the fact that Sam had a room. By what she told him when they were tucking in she had started off in a tiny space behind a big gear.

One they were a few paces from the door Danny turned to Nocturne.

"So, about the attack..." He staed quietly, "Is everyone okay? Did they get Vortex?"

"Everyone is fine." Nocturne assured him with a small smile, "We managed to get under that ghost Shield of yours before the Observants could trap us. We held them off for an hour or so before they gave up. Vortex got a small scratch on his arm but that's the extent of the damage."

Danny let out the breath he was holding, "Thank god..."

"What about all of you?" The sleep ghost asked with an inquisitive tone, "I hear there were some interesting results from your fight with them..."

Danny nodded, "Yeah... Dad... He's human... How does that happen? I mean, Clockwork explained it but... It just doesnt make sense."

"The observants have strange powers when they're together. And if a human can be given ghostly abilities, why can a ghost not be given human ones?" Nocturne smirked down at him, "For some one in your particular position, one would think you would be able to make the most sense of it."

The halfa chuckled, "One would think..."

He looked past Nocturne to the den like area beyond him. He could hear vortex complaining that something hurt and Maddie telling him to stop being baby and hold still. Danny smiled as this and walked oerr to join them.

He turned the corner to see his mother applying ointment and guaze to a cut on the weather ghost's arm.

Oh, the irony.

The cut was about four inches long and looked about a half an inch deep. For a human it would have been considered a large cut but for Vortex it was just a scrape. A painful scrape, but a scrape none the less.

But it was odd that he was having to have it patched up. Shouldn't he have healed automatically? Maybe it was another effect of Observant inflicted injury. They seemed to have this strange ability to weaken him. And right now he looked downright pathetic.

"Danny, you should have seen it!" Tucker said, bounding over to his friend, "They came out of no where, dozens of them! The ghost shield almost couldnt handle it!"

"We were lucky to make it out of there unharmed." Maddie agreed.

"Unharmed?" Vortex raised a brow at her and motioned toward his wound, "Speak for yourself _human_!-WHEEZE- These imbeciles will pay for harming the -WHEEZE- all powerful Vortex!"

"Yeah, yeah, So we've heard," Walker said with a roll of his eyes as he spun his revolver around one finger, "I just wish I could have unloaded a few rounds in their asses."

"You'll get your chance, don't worry," Danny assured them, "We have a plan."

"What is it?" Maddie asked curiously.

"No clue." Her son answered flatly, "Dan and Sam seem to be on the same page but they arent letting anyone else in on it."

"Well that was less than informative," Nocturne drawled as he floated over next to Vortex, "How is your arm?"

"Burns," The weather ghost answered sorely, "The've never been this powerful against me before..."

"That's because they've never had this kind of motivation before," Tucker noted with a frown, "That poor kid..."

"I can't imagine what they're going to do to him..." Walker mused, "Why on earth would they take a _kid _to experiment on. You'd think one of us would be the better option."

"Because he's young and easily molded," Danny told him with a sneer, "He's weaker than a full grown ghost or human so he'll put up less of a fight."

"That's sick." Nocturne said flatly, "And I tried putting the world to sleep."

"That was you?" Maddie asked with a blink, "I was wondering hoe I got that weird gizmo on my head."

Nocturne gave her a sheepish smile then turned back to Danny, "Daniel, I know that this fight means a lot to you, and you can use all the bodies you can throw at this... But I cannot help you."

Danny frowned, "Why not?"

"I am needed here, to keep Vortex out of their grasp," The ghost of dreams explained, "The poor oaf is helpless on his own."

"Hey!" Vortex exclaimed in offence.

Maddie finished patching up the wound on the ghost's arm and back away, wiping her ectoplasm covered hands on her jumpsuit.

"Alright everyone, find a place to crash and get some sleep." She told them in a very motherly fashion, "I want you all bright eyed and bushytailed in the morning."

"Easier said than done..." Danny mumbled.

"Well, make it happen," Maddie told him, planting a quick kiss on his forehead, "I'll go find Technus and stay with him. He needs more protecting than any of us right now."

Danny snorted, "Just remember, mom. You're married."

She rolled her eyes and walked away, "Goodnight, everybody."

"Night, Ma'am," Walker yawned as he leaned against the wall, pulling his hat over his face to sleep.

"Night, Mrs. Fenton." Tucker laid down on a horizonatal gear and curled up with his head resting on his backpack.

"You humans sleep in the starngest ways..." Nocturne said with a shake of his head.

Danny watched as blue light shined around his hands. Tucker was lifted up and a glowing bed appeared under him. The same happened to Walker. Neither registered what happened because they had quickly fallen asleep from it.

"I didn't know you could do that." Danny blinked.

"I can do anything as long as it is sleep related," Nocturne shrugged one shoulder, "They will disapere once they wake up."

Danny rubbed his eyes tiredly, "You think you could work some of that magic on me? I'm never going to get to sleep at this rate."

"Of course," The sleep ghost turned to him, "Sweet dreams, ghost boy."

Blue dust flew at Danny, next thing he knew, the real world faded away.

=DP=

Danny woke up in the bed beside Sam. Or, at least, where she was supposed to be. The covers were tossed back and her pajamas were folded at the foot of the bed. Her spot beside him was still warm so she hadn't been gone long.

Danny climbed out of the bed, putting on his glasses, and left the room briskly. His metal foot thumped loudly on the ground, making it a wonder he hadn't woken up Sam the night before.

"Ah, Danny, there you are." Clockwork greeted him as the boy entered the kitchen area.

Danny was just amazed at the fact that Clockwork's tower was actually a house!

"What's going on?" Danny asked, looking around at everyone in the room.

Maddie, Walker, technus and Dan were poured over a large map of what looked like the Observants keep. Danny could hear them talking about possible points of entry and probable blind spots. Danny wasn't aware that the Observants had blind spots at all.

"Guys, this won't do any good." Sam told them, walking over with a tray of coffe mugs, one for each of them, "Trust me, my plan will get us in."

"And what exactly is your plan?" Walker asked with Narrow eyes, "As you can tell none of us have any clue."

She smirked, "If I told you I would give it away."

Danny poured himself coffee, from the pot that never seemed to go empty, and sat down to drink it. Every one looked like they were doing everything already so he didn't seem needed. He looked beside him and saw Clockwork pushing an egg around on his plate idly.

"How you holding up?" He asked quietly.

"As good as one one can be in this situation," the master of time answered sullenly, "My child was abducted and I was powerless to stop those sons of bitches."

"Wow. I've never known you to swear," Danny said, blinking at the all powerful ghost. He reached out and placed a calming hand on his friend's shoulder, "We'll get him back, I promise."

"How can you be so hopeful when you dont even know what you're going up against?" Clockwork asked him, turning to face the boy with sad eyes.

Danny gave a warm smiled and answered, "Some one has to be."

Clockwork smiled faintly for a moment but it faded when he looked over Danny's shoulder. The boy looked back and saw Dan walking over. Danny's blood pressure spiked at seeing him but he remained silent, keeping his cool.

"There's good news and bad news," Dan said, talking more to Danny than Clockwork, presumably becaus the latter already knew.

"What's going on?" Danny asked with a frown.

Dan bit his lips for a moment before speaking, "Well... we're going to have to cut back our numbers. It's probably best that only one human goes in with us. Preferably some one who knows their way around the Ghost Zone."

"Sam knows-"

"No." Dan cut the halfa off, "If we send her in there it could kill her and the baby."

Danny was silenced. He had a point.

"Then who?" He asked, "Mom?"

"I was thinking Technus." Dan said quietly, "He's a ghost... usually. He can get us in."

"Bt why do we need a human at all?" Danny asked with low brows, "Wouldn't it be easier with all ghosts?"

"Yes. But ghost's can't walk thtough walls in the ghost Zone." Dan pointed out with a smirk, "And don't worry. The rest of us ghosts will get in and do all the tough stuff."

"And how do you plan on getting us in?" Danny asked cynically, "Like you said, only humans can walk through walls here. And if we wanted that I could just go human and walk us in."

"Yeah, but they're expecting _you_." Danny's older self told him, "As for getting us in..."

Danny tensed slightly when he saw Dan reach behind his back for something. It was just a instinctual reaction when some one you didnt like was going to grab something you couldnt see. Danny was confused when he saw that Dan pulled out the Fenton Thermos.

"The... Thermos?" The young halfa blinked at the device, "Weren't you planning on having Sam lock you up in that?"

Dan gave a pained expression that showed Danny he didnt want Sam to tell anyone that.

"Yes..." He bit out painfully, "But I have other plans for it now... Do you mind cramped spaces?"

Danny blinked, "I spent a month in the specter Speeder with 3 other people..."

Dan smiled, "Good."

Then, almost out of no where he opened the thermos and sucked Danny in. The boy shouted in shock as he was pulled into the containment device and the lid was closed behind him.

"HEY WHAT GIVES?" He shouted in anger, "WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, DAN, I'M GONNA-Ooooh..." he stopped shouting as the plan was put together in his min, "Why didn't I think of this?"

"Technically you did," Dan told him with a smirk.

"... Shut up."


	26. Fear

**Thank you all for the reviews! Glad you liked that last chapter. Now we get to take it down a notch and get to business. **

**Dark chapter ahead. At least the first half. **

"Keep him stable..."

"Where's that I.V?"

"Hand me the scaple. Make sure he's secure..."

"Bring in the ectoplasmic tissue we aquired from-..."

"Get something to soak up that blood! We don't want his human juices all over the-..."

All Aaron could hear were fragments of conversations during the passing hours. He didn't dare open his eyes for he feard what he would see. But he knew what he was feeling.

Pain.

Pain like he had never felt before. He didn't know what they were doingt o him but he was powerless to stop them. When he was first brought to this place he resisted with all he had. The Observants were far too strong for him though. He quickly found himself strapped to a lab table, a tube in his arm.

They took away his time medallion quickly. With shrieks of protest the boy demanded it's return. Against his will he was returned to his more vulnerable, true state.

His human state.

A state thhat seemed so much more helpless than he already was.

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the green eye on an Observant standing over him. The words he spoke rang through Aaaron's mind even as he slepted.

"Be happy, child. For you shall help us to bring order..."

Then his world was set aflame. The walls of his mind seemed like they were torn apart and his very samity was ripped from his brain. He could feel his body thrashing agianst his restraints, he could feel the cold steel of their blades agaisnt his skin and the warm blood that oozed from the gashes.

Tears fell from his eyes agaisnt his will as his whole world fell apart. His body betrayed him as he slowly stopped his struggle. He could feel them placing machines onto his body, across his face and chest. He wanted to scream in agony as sharp appendages pierced his pale flesh, embedding the machinery into his body. His white shirt was probably stained red with his own blood and he could feel his once bright blonde locks, plastered to his head from gore and sweat.

This was it. It was over. He was going to die here, he knew it.

'Why didn't Papa save me? Why didn't he tell me this would happen? Didn't he know? Wasn't there anything he could do?'

The boy tensed as a cold hand was placed on his arm. He didn't know the touch but he was sure he didn't like who ever was behind it. Tears continued to fall from his eyes, his face frozen like stone, his body still and unmoving.

"I never wanted this to happen..."

Aaron wanted to open his eyes and see who the voice belonged to. But he was far too weak, far too angry, and far too gone for any action.

All he could do now was submit himself to his fate... He was nothing now. Nothing but a tool for 'order'.

=**DP**=

Technus stared at the thermos in his hands, his body trembling slightly. He'd not felt this vulnerable in years. Not since he died. And now he was going into a place where he may end up reliving that painful sensation yet again.

One thing was for sure. He was going to make the Observants pay for doing this to him. He didn't know how but they would regret this. even if Danny had to fight in his stead, he would see their defeat.

"Nicolai?"

The raven haired man looked up to see Maddie walking up to him. She sat beside him on the stone steps of the tower with a look of great concern.

"I'm frightened, Madeline." He told her quietly, "But I'm also angry... Feeling these things... like this.. I just feel so..."

"Human." She ended for him.

"I was going to say 'weak' but, i suppose that works..." Technus mumbled back.

"Being human isn't weakness, Nicolai," She told him, placing a hand on his knee, "You'll be okay."

He smiled at her halfheartedly, "You have far too much faith in me... Not long ago you wanted to destroy me."

"that was before I knew you," She told him with a smile, "The real you, not the ghost bet on world domination. The man who has been a great dad to my son and who I am proud to say fathered my child."

"But Jack-"

"Is a great man." Maddie cut him off with a weak smile, "He means well and provides for us. I love him with all my heart but Danny has never had the connection with him that he has with you. Not only are you his biological father but you're also a ghost. Till now he's only had human parents who he can confide in and we could never understand his problems like you can. I know Danny will always love Jack as his dad but you vill a void in his life that has been empty for many years."

Technus' smile brightened slightly, "You really believe that?"

"I do." She tol him with a sure nod, "You need to as well. You've done nothing wrong as his father. And sure, things were weird at first... But you got past that and helped Danny through some really hard times. You were there for him when I wasn't..."

Technus frowned when he saw her sad expression. She clearly didn't like the memory months ago when Danny walked out on them. She had a fight with her only son and pushed him away, leaving only technus for him to run to to console him.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over that." Technus told her, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly, "You were trying to keep your family together during a very complicated time. Everything was happening so fast...Why do you think I left? I couldn't figure everything out either. When he called me Dad for the first time... I don't know.. It just felt... wrong. Like maybe he didn't really mean it... Or maybe because I felt I didn't deserve the title..."

"But you do deserve it." She assured him, placing a hand over his tenderly.

"You don't understand." Nicolai said with a deep frown, "I was using him. When this all started I came to Danny with selfish purposes. I planned to use the boy for my own causes..."

Maddie blinked up at him in confusion.

The man sighed, "Then I started getting attached to Danny... I stopped seeing him as the annoying ghost brat who always foiled my plans, and started seeing him as my annoying son."

The woman giggled lightly, "Things can change, Nicolai. I know you did. You've come a long way, and you've got so much further to go."

Technus exhaled and looked down at the thermos in his hands, "If I make it out of this alive..."

"You will." She said, taking his hands in his, "You have to. For Danny."

Nicolai turned back to her and smiled, "I'll do my best."

It was so odd to be in this situation. To be human, feeling these human emotions, sitting with the mother of his child, preparing to set off on what could very well be his final mission. Now that he was human, even if it was temporary, there was a distinct possiblity that he could die. And there was no gaurantee that he would come back as a ghost if he did.

Maddie turned his face to look at her and smiled, "If you love Danny, You'll do better than your best."

Technus stared at her behind his glasses. He stiffed slightly as she pecked him on the cheek lightly. He could feel the blood in his face but remained still.

"For luck," She told him gently, "Be safe."

Technus nodded and stood along side her. He strapped the Fenton Thermos, loaded with his ghostly cargo, to his belt and inhaled deeply. He looked up at the swirling green that made up the skies of The Ghost Zone. dispite the badmood every one was even, including Vortex whose mood depicted the weather, a strange peace had fallen over the Zone. The other ghosts went about their after lives, completely oblivious to the horrible things that were happening even as they spoke. If they knew what their leaders, the Observants, were planning they would have shared a similar outlook to Technus'

"Today's as good a day as any to die I guess..." he found himself saying, "At least it wont be at the end of the world like the disasteroid."

"If you die, it will be the end of the world for a bunch of people," Maddie told him with a frown, "You're coming back."

"But-"

"Promise me!"

Technus took a step back at her urgent tone. He swallowed nervously and nodded.

"I... I promise..."

She nodded once, "Good. Our family practically just got you, we would hate to lose you now. And you need to live so you can bring Danny back alive."

"I'll bring him back," Technus assured her, gripping her arms steadily, "You keep the others safe."

"I will." She told him seriously, "Come back safe... And on he off chance you don't come back..."

She leaned in quickly and kissed him on the lips. Technus' whole body went numb and for a moment he thought he would faint from all the blood rushing from his head. His eyes practically doubled in width before he realised what was going on.

He lifted his hands to cradle her face gently and leaned into the kiss slightly. He knew there were boundaries he wasn't allowed to cross and he was being careful.

Maddie pulled away, seemingly far too soon.

"This stays between us." She told him with a strait face.

Nicolai nodded once, "Uh huh... But, um... Why did you..."

"Danny told me about your horrible luck with women." She said with a faint smile, "I just wanted to make sure you at least got to kiss a girl before you died again. Just in case..."

"If Jack finds out I am not sticking around to cover for you," Technus told her with a smirk as he headed down the steps to leave.

"Be careful! Be safe!" Maddie called after him.

Technus just smiled and shook his head as he walked away. This family was so demented.

"You ready to go?" Tucker asked as he stepped out of the Specter Speeder.

Technus nodded, trying to hide the redness in his face as nervousness. He looked down at the teen's hands and saw him holding a large metal device.

"What's that?" Technus asked, stepping up to the boy.

"While you were making out with Danny's mom I finished up this baby." Tucker said holding the device up proudly, "I made you a jetpack slash battle suit to get you there. It's made of parts of the Speeder. You can't exactly take that with you since we need it here for protection."

Nicolai smiled, "Very Nice, Tucker. Are you sure _you're _not my child?" He took the jet pack then frowned, "And we were not 'making out'."

"Whatever." The teen shrugged, "Anyway, good luck, dude. Take care of yourself."

"I will. You stick to Maddie like glue. Like you said, you dont have powers or a black belt to protect you," Technus said in a half serious, half teasing manner.

"I will... And for the record, "The affrican american boy smiled, "You turned out to be a pretty cool dad."

The master of technolgy chuckled, "So I've heard..."

"And, uh..." Tucker shifted his feet nervously, "When this is all over you think you could work that magic you did for Valerie and Danny on me?"

"Sure, kid." Technus rolled his eys behind his shades, "It's at the top of my list..."

"Thanks!" The boy beamed up at him, "I'm going to head inside to see if Nocturne or Vortex need anything... Man, that's weird to say..."

Technus watched the teen go with a frown. He strapped ont he jetpack with a sigh. He saw the "on" switch and flipped it. The makeshift machine rumbled to life, extending over his shoulders to create slender armor that covered his neck and chest.

"Not bad kid..." He mumbled to himself.

He made sure the thermos was attacked before pushing off of the ground and setting off toward the Observant's base.

**Don't worry! That's the last time Maddie does that.**


	27. Covert

**I'm not exactly sure what they Observants HQ is called officially so I'm calling it the Observatory. Because that makes sense to me.**

* * *

><p>The Observatory was still as the dead from the outside. A fitting similie considering the circumstances.<p>

Technus crouched low on a floating island rock, peering over the top cautiously. He could see two guards by the main entrance, fully armored and holding identical staves. Nicolai noted that avoiding them would be the safest route of getting in.

The ghost-turned-human reached up, pressing a finger to the Fenton Phone in his ear as he spoke, "I'm as close as I can get without being seen. How am I supposed to get in without being blown up."

"Look for blind spots." Walker's voice echoed from the Thermos strapped to the man's hip.

"The observants have blind spots?" Danny asked.

Though his face was unseen Technus would practically hear Walker roll his eyes. For a fleeting moments the old Technus showed up, realizing that all of his troubles were quite litterally locked up and he would be free to take over the world without their interference. He quickly shook his head and came to his senses.

"Look for balconies," Dan's voice called out, "Usually guards stand on them but if you get under them you're out of their line of site."

"Stick close to the side of the building." Danny added in agreement.

"I have to get there first..." Technus mumbled as he slid back down the rock to move around the back of it.

He peaked around the stone barier and saw another floating not too far away. The guards were facing the opposite direction of it so there was a good chance he could get to it without being seen, then close in on the Observatory.

"You guys are sure this will work?" Technus asked one final time as he prepared to hit the jets for his rocket pack.

"Absolutely." Danny assured him, "You have our complete faith."

"Kinda," Walker added then grunted loduly suggesting he was he in the gut.

Nicolai swallowed his nerves and crept around the rock further. When the guards were in his sights he stopped and waited. Their gaze shifted in his direction for a moment but it was no more than a precautionary scan. The red eyes quickly turned away and that was when the man made his break for it.

His jetpack quickly jolted him across the expanse and he dugg his fingers into the stone to anchor himself. Being human again he was at the mercy of the Ghost Zone's lack of any real gravity. If you were not anchored to a surface you would continue to float aimlessly forever.

He ducked his head down pulling his long hair flat against the back of his neck. He was sure the guards heard the thrusters and didnt want to risk peeking up and having them see him.

"You got this." Danny told him from inside the thermos, "You can do it, Dad."

"Stop calling him that!" Dan snapped, "It's uncomfortable..."

Technus huffed and pulled his shades from his face. He held them out, glass facing him and lifted them slightly above the stone. He saw the reflections of the guards and saw they they were totally oblivious to his presence. He exhaled in relief and placed his glasses back on his face.

"Any particular area I should aim for?" He asked quietly.

"A wall." Dan spouted out, "Ow! Stop hitting, Danny! It's packed tight enough in here as it is."

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this..." Walker drawled with a huff.

Clockwork has been totally silent and Technus was beginning to forget he was even there. Inside the thermos the ghosts were packed in, practically chest to chest with eachother and doing their best not to inadvertantly hurt one another. Well, except Danny.

"So this is what it's like inside this suop container..." Walker mused looking around the dark thermos. Green lines illuminated the tube just barely enough so they could see., "Looks a lot smaller from the outside."

"It's made to compress ghostly energy to a smaller form," Danny told him passively, "In simple terms, we got shrunken down."

"I thought this was bad enough when I was alone," Dan groaned as he shifted around to make himself more comfortable, "Now I've got 2 men my size and mini-me in here!"

"I resent that." The halfa glared at him.

"Resent it all you want but it wont make it any less true." Dan smirked, "I like your suit by the way."

Danny looked down at the matching outfit he wore and frowned. To an onlooker they would probably look like brothers from how simliar they appeared. Were Danny more muscular, blue, and given flaming hair, they could be twins.

"Dad made it." Danny told him flatly.

"Which one?" Dan asked almost spitefully.

Danny glared at him, "Technus. You think Jack would have made this? And if I'm right, this suit's way tougher than yours."

The older Daniel scoffed and turned his head away slightly. Clockwork smiled up at him briefly but said nothing. The tension radiating from him was thick.

Danny swallowed his pride and decided that right now was probably not the time to be getting into dirt slinging fights with Dan. There were much more important things to deal with than their egos.

When this was all done they could settle this like men. But for now they both would have to swallow their pride. For Aaron's sake at least.

If the poor kid was even still in one piece..

=DP=

This eventually started to come back into place after a few hours of recovery. Aaron was able to open his eyes and the fuzzy world around him turned back into a physical world. His body ached where the machines had infiltrated it. His healing sores itched and burned from whatever medication they had administered. The pain was immense and unlike anything the boy had ever faced.

He could see the white walls of the orperating room he was trapped in. If he had wanted to move he couldn't. His arms were bound by glowing green ectoplasm at the wrists and elbows, and his legs at the ankles and knees. His waist was held by the same energy but his head was free to move as he pleased. They must have left it free so the machinery they placed there could heal properly.

Out of one eye Aaron Leon could see properly, if not still a little soupy. But in his right eye all he could see was red. Then, across his chest, was an X shaped apparatus with a long tube attached that was feeding Ecoplasm into his body from an unseen source.

Whatever device they placed over his eye was not turned on apparenly because he coudnt see through the red. To prevent becoming too disoriented he closed his right eye behind it and looked through his left eye only.

The fact that he could do this much astounded him.

Aaron sent messages through the rest of his body to move but nothing obeyed. His fingers wouldn't clench and his legs wouldn't lift. the only things he had control over were his eyes.

"Ah, you're awake."

Aaron stayed still agsint his will, even though every fiber of his being wanted to see where the voice had come from. Looking straight up at the ceiling offered almost no visual identification. But seeing as this was the doman of the observants, it was most likely one of them.

"Are you in any pain?"

Aaron wanted to spit at the man asking that stupid question. Of course he was in pain! This was agony! They hadn't even numbed him! All they did during the operation was give him a medication to keep him from moving. He could still feel every pin prick and ever knife cut.

The child just blinked his eyes quickly in responce, showing that he didnot have the power of speech.

"Oh, of course." The voice said, his british accent weighing on Aaron's nerves. Apparently the entire Observant councel was from england.

"I shall disable the guard on your vocal chords for the moment." He told him.

Out of the corner of his eye Aaron got a glimpse of the ghost standing beside him. His high collar blocked the view of his optical face but it was clear he was one of them. All of these Observatns looked the same. It made Aaron wonder how they even told one another apart.

Suddenly a coughing fit over took the boy. His head shook as he hacked and wheezed. His whole body was inadvertantly shaken causing violent jolts of pain to shoot through his nerves.

"Be still, child!" The observant ordered him.

His body immediately complied, but his wheezing breaths continued. At least now he had the power to crane his neck and turn to look at the ghost.

"Now, I repeat, are you in any pain?"

"What do you think?" Aaron gasped out anrgily, "I've got a big hunk of metal in my chest!"

"I see that." The green ghost said flatly, "How severe is your pain?"

"A nine." Aaron hissed.

"On a scale of...?"

"On a scale of one to five!" Aaron spat, "Let me go!"

"I'm afraid I do not have that kind of power, child." The Observant told him, "To let you go would require a two thirds vote from the council... the same number of votes that put you in this position..."

Aaron furrowed his brow, "I thought you Observants all thought the same way..."

"If we all thought the same way there would be no need for so many of us, would there?" The much elder ghost asked in an almost amused tone, "I must admit, compared to the all knowing nature of my bretherin, your youthful naivety is almsot refreshing."

Aaron rolled his eyes, "Glad to know that this is entertaining you... Sicko."

"I will have you know that I was one of the few who voted against your capture." The Observant told him shrudely, "I did not particpate in the planning or act of bringing you here. It was... inhumane."

"That's funny to hear from a bunch of ghosts..." Aaron ground out quietly, "What should any of you care? I'm not one of you..."

"If memory serves, you are part ghost as well, Aaron Leon, Son of Danny phantom."

Aaron frowned, "Yeah, so?"

"A part of you is one of us. A ghost." The figure told him, coming closer so Aaron could actually see him.

Something about this Observant was slightly different. He looked physically just like them but for some reason... he just felt different.

"What are they going to do to me?" Aaron finally asked.

"They will not kill you if that is what you are worried about." The Observant stated calmly, "You are far too precious to their plan for that."

"What exactly is their plan?" He couldn't help but ask. Not that he really wanted to know.

"Danny Phantom is a Halfa and subsequently the most powerful ghost nelow us and Clockwork. He has conquered foes and trials that you cannot even imagine, boy." He was told by the caped ghost, "They believe that by having you, his first born, there fore the most potent of his ghost DNA... Or at least in theory."Aaron must have looked really confused becase he added, "That means you are the most powerful child he'll have."

"Wow then the rest of his kids are going to be wimps." Aaron scoffed.

The observant actually chuckled slightly at this. Aaron looked up at him with a deep and confused frown.

"Why are you here?"

The one eyed ghost was silent for a moment. If it were possible for an Observant to look thoughtfully he did.

"Because, even though I can do nothing to get you out of here, I can at least try and make your existance a little easier." He told the boy calmly, "The others have granted me temporary care of you while you recover."

Aaron's good eye widened, "What? No! I have a father, I don't need you! Let me go and papa will take care of me!"

He wanted so badly to pull on his restraints but his arms would not obey his commands.

The cycloptic spectre exhaled tiredly and walked around to the computer console. Aaron's glare followed him. He reached the panel of buttons and extended one of those long clawed fingers, pressing a single button.

Aaron's arms were freed, as were his legs, but his body was as still as stone. The Observant turned to him, his large green eye focused on his face.

"Fear not, child. You will see him soon enough."

Aaron smirked, "When he gets here, you guys are in for it. He's gonna kick your sorry butts!"

"Perhaps." The observent surprisingly agreed, "But until that time you will be under by watch."

Aaron looked back up at the ceiling to glare in defeat. There was nothing he could do for now but wait. And considering the circumstances things couldn't possibly get any worse.

So he had an Observant for a baby sitter... That couldn't be any worse than having his insides cut open. Aaron just had to wait out this storm until Clockwork came for him. After that these stupid observants will wished they never messed with the boy.

Or, at least that was the plan.


	28. Search and Healing

**Thank you all for reviewing!**

Technus slunked across the side of the Observatory stealthily. Luckily, his human form didn't giev off any ghostly energy so he remained unnoticed by the guards.

Periodically he would phase through the wall and peak around to see where he was. Walker suggested that he find their holding cells to check if they had the boy locked up. So far he had only found what looked like court rooms and empty hallways.

"Just get us in already!" Dan ordered, his patience running out.

"Alright, alright." Technus shook his head and rolled his azure eyes, "Don't get your panties in a twist."

Slowly and carefully Technus entered the wall he was agaisnt. He found himself in a vaast hallway all by himself.

"I'm in." Technus told them, "Putting his finger to the fenton phone in hsi ear, "So far it doesnt seem like they even know I'm here."

"Or they just dont care about you..." Walker grumbled through the staticy comm link.

Technus glanced around before hurrying bown the hall. His heeled boots were loud agaisnt the floor and echoed off of the high ceilings. He swallowed nervously and ran straight into the wall ahead of him rather than turning down the hall.

He had to find the right place to let his team out of the thermos. Too early and they would set off every alarm in the place and they would have hundreds of Observants on their tails in no time. His best chance was to keep searching this place untill he found the observants and/or Aaron then let every one out.

Technus ran through wall after all, scanning rooms as he entered and exited them. Every where he went seemed devoid of any presence. It was like they had all left for the day. But this had to be where the Observants lived so where else would they be?

"I don't get it." Nicolai said as he stopped to catch his breath, "Where are they?"

" I wish I could help you, but they are blocking my vision of them." Clockwork said glumly.

"They can do that?" Danny asked, his voice coming through the communication device.

"It's a form of Checks and Balances," Clockwork explained, "They can block my visions of them and I them. It is a way of keeping one from controling the other."

"You can't see the kid at all?" Dan asked, growing aggrivated.

"Not if he's with them. He must be being kept in close proximity with them." Clockwork stated, "They only kept my visions of them open long enough to see what they did to him."

"So we're running blind," Walker noted with a sour tone, "Fantastic."

Technus started up his search again, "At this rate it could take me days to search this whole place. For all we know they moved him somewhere else."

"No, he's here." Clockwork assured him, "They wouldnt risk moving him. Just get to the heart of the Observatory and we can lay this place out from the middle."

"You're condoning violence?" Technus heard Dan ask.

"I am not condoning it," Clockwork stated, "I am insisting apon it."

Technus smirked slightly but remained serious as he searched room after room for the child. He didn't really like children other than Danny, and by extention his friends. So, why he was here risking his neck for a kid he didn't even know was far beyond him.

But since it meant so much to Danny, he would endure. What else was family for?

=**DP**=

"Here." The Observant said as he placed a plate of freshly made food infront of Aaron, "Eat."

Though his movements were agaisnt his own will the boy gladly swallowed down the chicken and mashed potatoes. Who would have thought Observants could cook. They didn't even have mouths! Dispite the confusing nature of it, the food tasted fine all the same. Not as good as Papa made but still good.

His captor, or as he had recently discovered his name to be Ewen Einon(It turned out that Observants really do have their own names), had treated him pretty fairly in his few hours here. He had taken the boy to the upper levels to his personal living quarters and allowed the boy to relax and heal comfortably.

Observant Living was actually very nice. As their ornate robes showed they were very lavish beings. The interior decor of their homes was a combination of the colors white gold and splashes of green. The white walls were tall and had pillars of polished stone that lined them, streatching to the ceiling. The trim of the walls looked almost as if it were made of solid gold and lined the top of the walls in a decorative fashion.

The furniture was simple but classy. Soft, cushy couches and chairs in front of a white brok fireplace with a blue flame flickering inside. The tables were wooden but painted in an almost pearly white paint and had green decorations along the outer rims. The legs of the tables came to a clawed paw shape at it's end where it reached the floor.

Aaron finished off his food and sat up straight in his chair, his body awaiting further orders. It angered him that he couldn't move of his own accord. If his nose itched he couldnt even reach up to scratch it.

"Feel better?" Ewen asked, seating himself across from the child and crossing his hands on the table in front of him.

"Sure..." Aaron answered, still having his freedom to speak.

The Observant nodded once, "Good. Now, to deal with the matter of your place here-"

"Am I going to live with you from now on?" Aaron asked, interupting him.

Ewen looked up at him, obviously unsed to being interupted.

He cleared his throat briefly, "Well, that depends on how well I do at protecting you. The council may decide to let you live here, with moderate freedom, or put you in captivity like our prisoners."

"Are those the only options?" Aaron asked with a cringe.

Ewen chuckled, "Unfortunately, yes. Fear not, we observants are not all like my more agressive counterpart. While I have done my share of prisoner punishing, I can tell the difference between a child and a prisoner."

"They aren't the same thing?" Aaron asked, arching a brow.

The cyclops looked thoughtful, "I suppose they are similar."

Aaron silently sulked. He'd haev to live with this creep forever? Or worse, be locked up in a prison? What if he never got to see Dad or Papa again?

What was he saying? He would see them again. They were coming to save him! Soon enough he'd be free of this place, this machine and back in his own timeline like none of this ever happened.

Aaron rolled his eyes up to look at Ewen who seemed to be facinated by a speck of dirt on the table and was determined to scratch it off.

"Do you have any kids?" Aaron blurted suddenly.

The Observant looked up with a slightly wider eye than usual, "I beg your pardon?"

"Do you have any kids?" Aaron repeated, "Because you seem like the kind of guy that would."

Ewen looked down and his shoulders slumped a bit, "No. I am afraid not. I am sworn to an oath of celibacy."

"What does that mean?" Aaron asked, his head cocking a bit.

"I can never get married or have children..." He explained dryly, "Not that I ever would. That is such a foolish waste of my time. An Observant must always keep their eye focused on the events at hand, not distracted by trivial matters."

"Papa has to watch all of time, and he found time of a family." The boy smiled briefly, "You just have to sort out your prioities."

The was a silence that followed. The two sat across from eachother just staring at the other. Aaron fought a giggle at the thought that he was having a staring contest with an Observant.

A sudden knock at the dor made the observant blink and look away.

"Ha!" Aaron boasted.

"Hush! Don't say a word." The observant told him causing the boy to immediately be quiet.

Ewen stood and left the dining area to answer the door. A deep voice greeted him as he opened the white entrance. Aaron was happy his face was frozen because the look at hearing the voice was ugly.

"Ah, good you're awake," The other Observant stated dryly, "I was sent to check on the child."

It was the observant who had headed the assault on the tower.

"Very well. He is in the kitchen." Ewen responded adn he appeared shortly after int he kitchen with the other ghost.

"He has gotten back some of his color." The deeper voiced Observant stated, "and you've fed him."

"He is being taken care of properly." Ewen told him, with a slight bit of scorn audible in his voice, "why have you come to my chambers, Aiden?"

Aiden, apparently, reached behind his back and pulled out what appeared to be ecotplasm in a tanklike cantainer.

"This is to be attached to the child to further stimulate the tissue we implatned."

'What tissue?'Aaron mentally asked.

Ewen took the tank, "Aiden, this is not nessessary at the moment. The child needs time to heal before we-"

"You will do as you are told." Aiden cut him off rudely, "As a lower rank than myself you will respect the authority of the council."

Lower rank? The observants weren't all on the same level?

"Yes, of course. I apologize." Ewen said humbly with a bow of his head, "I will complete the task as you said."

"Good. We fear that Clockwork is already on his way here. He has taken the same precautions we have and we cannot currently track hsi whereabouts." Aiden hissed, "We cannot risk being unprepared."

"Of course." The slightly kinder Observant agreed, "I will see you out. Aaron clean up your plate."

The child hopped up and grabbed the plate he ate on and walked it to the sink to clean it. He couldn't help but think 'Yes, mother' as he was ordered. Every step he took was shakey and painful but he couldn't show it. The two ghosts left the room and shortly after the front door was open then closed.

Aaron finished cleaning the plate and set it on the counter to dry. He stood there, facing the sink as he awaited the order to turn around, sit again, or do some other task.

"Aaron."

On hearing his name the boy turned around. Ewen was floating about three feet away from him, the tank in hand.

"I am sorry." He said sadly.

Aaron's body remained frozen as Ewn conected the tank to the metal plate on his back, that he hadnt even realised was there. It hurt everywhere so figuring out where it came from was difficult. Ewen attached a narrow tube to the X-shapped device on the boy's chest and brought another up by his neck.

"This will hurt a bit."

That was all the warning Aaron had before the sharp tip of the tube peirced his flesh and sank into his squinted his eyes in pain, drawing cool tears from them. Another device was strapped to his wrist and locked, with a small wire than became embedded under his skin.

"I apologize for the discomfort." Ewen said curtly, half sounding like he didn't even mean it, "You may speak now."

"OW!" Aaron suddenly snapped at him, "A little warning next time!"

"I told you it would hurt. That was sufficient warning enough, "Ewen rose back to full length and floated away from him, "No matter. You must rest to regainn your energy."

"With this thing on my back?" The twelve year old asked, unsure if that was an order or not because he hadn't moved.

"Sleep on your side." Ewen suggested with a shrug as he looked back over his shoulder, "Now take a spot on the couch and rest. I wont have you passing out from exhuastion under my watch."

Aaron reluctantly obeyed and marched himself over to the plush couch, immediately laying down.

"Good boy," Ewen told him with poorly hidden amusement, "Now take a nap."

Before his eyes closed Aaron mumbled, "You really need to work on your nurturing skills, dude..."

**For some side info on Bbervant Ewen Einon, he is actually supposed to be the higher voiced Observant from TUE and the one to speak in Torrent of Terror. We never really see what life for the Observants is really like so I had practically a whole world for my imagination to play with. His voice was the most tolerable of all the Observants so I picked him as my sentimental neutral character. He's not a good guy but he's certainly not a bad guy by far. But he is still bound to his duties as an Observant. **

**I also figured that since in Torrent of Terror, Only a few Observants were shown on enlarged screens, they were higher ranking Observants. They probably have some kind of pecking order on who gets to make what kinds of decisions and what they get a say in. At least that's what I figure. **

**And another reminder to please don't rush the author. I am doing the best I can to write this at a good pace. **


	29. Snap

Aaron was woken with start. His eyes snapped open quickly as his body was shaken roughly. Through his good eye he could see Ewen, or at least it looked like him, standing over him and holding his shoulders tightly.

"Get up, boy! There isn't much time." Ewen told him quickly, pulling Aaron to his feet..

"What's going on?" The preteen asked worredly.

"I can explain, but not here." He was told as he wasgrabbed bythe wrist and teleported away fromt he room.

Aaron's head spun fromt he sudden movement but his body was ridgid and did not need to be kept from falling over. His eyes darted around him and he found that he was in a large room, surrounded by other Observants.

They were panicking. Panicking like the world was supposed to end in five minutes. Aaron couldnt understand most of them but he did hear some fragments of conversations.

"What should we do? We cannot stop him!"

"He's lost his mind!"

"He's _mad_!"

"Should we flee?"

"He will slaughter us all! He has already taken out the east wing!"

"We cannot allow him to get to the boy!"

Aaron's good eye widened.

_Papa..._

He looked up as a firm hand gripped his shoulder. Ewen did not look down at him but he could hear the observant tell him something.

"Do not show them you have any free will."

Aaron obeyed and remained silent.

"Councel, councel! Be still!" The Observant known as Aiden said as he floated before them, "Our solution to this problem is not to keep the boy away from Clockwork... But to send the boy up agaisnt Clockwork."

"Have you lost your mind?" Ewen snapped, "The boy will not stand a chance!"

"Ah, but Clockwork would sooner be damned than harm the child. He will not even fight back as we push him back out of the Observatory." Aiden said in an almosy menacing tone.

Aaron felt a chill run up his spine at the words. They would send him to fight agaisnt his own father? They would send him to his death this easily?

Ewen pulled Aaron closer to him and put and arm around him protectively, "He is just a child!"

"A child with imunity, Ewen. Their group has come to rescue him, not to kill him. They will not dare fight back."

"If you put the boy up against any of them, he will die! He is mostly human you can't-"

"We can do whatever we please!" Aiden spat cruely, "And witht he fear that we will kill the child, should they attack us, we will not be harmed."

Both Aaron and Ewen were stunned into silence.

"You... You will _kill _him?" Ewen asked shakily, his grip on Aaron tightening, causing some of his wounds to hurt, "This is lunacy! If you kill him, Clockwork will destroy us all, dispite the consequences."

"He would do no such thing. The world would unravel without us." Aiden told him.

Ewen narrowed his eye at them, "Have you bothered to watch him with this child at all? Have you not seen the love he shows this boy? If Aaron dies, he will have no reason to go on. He'll put everything into destroying every last one of us."

Aaron could feel tears of fear stinging his eyes. This couldn't be happening.

"You speak nonsense, Ewen. We know what we're doing."

As the councel moved to deliberate Ewen turned his eyes back to the boy.

"Aaron, I cannot help you after this moment," He told him sadly causing the frightened child to shed his tears, "But I have one more order for you..."

=DP=

Ecoplasm coated the floors as Observants and servants alike scrambled to escape the wrath of hell that had been unleashed in their halls. Dozens of their own kind, slaughtered by scythe and obliterated by superpowered guns and ghostly wails for good measure.

All Danny could do was watch as the scene in front of him unfolded. He stood with his father to protect him from any attacks that were fired at them. Though not many Observants even had a chance to return fire.

"No! Please! AHH-"

Screams were cut off by the downward swipe of the long blade of the scythe. Bodies lay strewn about the hall, completely lifeless and still. It was a brutal massacre that Dan and Walker were enjoying a little too much. Though, the one who was doing most of this was not enjoying it at all.

Clockwork had lost it.

In their search for Aaron the team had come up short in the prisoner holding chambers. But not far from there were the labs. And what they found there was not pretty.

Pools of blood around a gorey lab table, some dry some still moist. It was human blood... It had to be Aaron' instruments that had not been bothered to be cleaned yet were strewn about on the shelves and tables. It was a scene that caused a mad scientist like Technus to lose his lunch. Danny had to look away from the crimson pools to keep his own sanity.

Walker investigated it and found that there were small traces of Ectoplasm on the floor but not from Aaron.

There was a file lying open on a counter and Dan picked it up, reading alloud to all of them.

"Subject spliced with ectoplasm taken from subject 24-V." He looked under where the folder had been and saw another file witht that exact name and looked in it, "Those bastards..."

"What is it?" Walker asked walking over to look at the paper, "Aw, _shit_! Clockwork, you need to see this."

Danny looked to his old friend, who had been silent the entire time they were searching. He hadn't even said anything after he was released from the thermos.. Not even the obligatory 'Ow my back' comment.

The master of time flew over to them, eyes avoiding the bloody mess that was around him and doing his best to keep his composure. It was clear he was one more shock away from a breakdown. But when he looked at the files Dan was holding it was clear he needed no more incentive.

Clockwork flew into a rage and lashed out, attacking the closest thing to him, which luckily was the wall. His staff transformed into the familiar scythe that he had once tried to kill Danny with. Though, now, his face actually looked like one of a man out for blood.

"I WILL DESTROY ALL OF THOSE ONE EYED BASTARDS!"

Every one gaped at the fact the stoic master of time had flown off the handle. And gaped even more at the fact that he was flying off at full speed to brutally massacre the Observants.

"What did they do?" Technus asked, still kind of queezy.

Dan turned to Technus and Danny and held up the file. Inside were stills from during the operation that had gone on here. Every stage of the surgery, from cutting him open to implanting device into the boy that looked like some kind of radio devices. No doubt, to control the poor child. There were photos of the boy's face up close, marred with cuts and stiches. His face was different than Danny had remembered seeing him. His skin was more of a peach color and he looked more alive, dispite his predicament. Though the screaming pain shown on his face showed he didnt look like would be alive much longer.

Danny felt hatred for the Observants boil inside him as he ripped the file to shreds, burning every piece.

"We have to catch up to Clockwork," He told the others quickly.

"You better look at this first." Walker told him holding up a photo from the inside of the 24-V file. It was a phto of...

"They spliced him with DNA from _VORTEX_?" Danny asked, his eyes growing wide then narrow as it turned to an enraged glare, "Don't they know Vortex isn't exactly stable? DAMMIT! That must have been why Vortex was hurt so badly! They didnt just cut him, they took a _piece_ of him!"

"We have to get to that kid and fast, before Clockwork tears the whole place appart."

They hurried after the master of time, following his trail of destruction and causing more as they went. Walker pulled out his Widowmaker and shot down any guards or Observants that crossed their path or tried to stop them. Dan covered the flank and watched all of their backs, issuing out a Ghostly wail where he deemed nessessary. Dannny just stuck to Technus like glue to make sure he stayed safe. He had told him to go back to the tower but he refused.

"I promised your mother I would bring you home," Nicolai told him in the most fatherly voice he had used for as long as Danny had known him, "And I will die again before I break that promise!"

Now there they stood, back to back with one another, one of them a really pissed off time keeper who was shaking from fury. None of them had seen him this angry before but at the moment no one was complaining. As long as Clockwork could stop this when he needed to, they could still keep control of this situation.

Clockwork seethed and growled like a caged dog ready to attack. Dan stood beside him, whispering things to him in an attempt to keep him calm.

Suddenly, Clockwork lashed out and knocked down a pair of large ornate doors. Behind them was what seemed to be a type of gigantic court room. The group entrered and looked up into the many rows of seats and examined the tall ceilings. There were no signs of ghost life in the room but Danny's ghost sense was going off like crazy. There were too many Observants in this blasted place to keep track of where one would pop up.

"We are not surprised that you have come Clockwork," A voice suddenly echoed through the room.

Everyone looked up as one of the large, eyeball shaped screans activated and an Observant appeared on it.

"Though were were all stunned at your actions," The Observant said in a deep voice, "Does this human child mean so much to you?"

"Human?" Dan looked to Clockwork, "I thought he was a ghost."

"Were you not paying attention at all in the room of blood?" Walker asked him with narrow eyes, "That was human blood not ectoplasm. I dont even know the kid and I could make that connection."

Dan turned his glare back to the Observant, "You twisted bastard! You did that to a _HUMAN_?"

"The cost of order," The Observant told him in a calm voice, "To keep order, some action is required. We acted against our oath for the greater good of the world. You of all people must understand that Clockwork."

The master of time mearly narrowed his flamming red eyes.

"Clockwork would never stoop to your level!" Dan defended his boyfriend.

"No? Are you not the perfect example of how he would do such a thing?" The observant asked cruely, "He allowed your family to die. He allowed you to suffer. He could have spared them like he did with this Danny's family."

"Shut up!" Dan shouted, growing more and more enraged with every sentence.

Danny was starting to become afraid...

The Observant continued to taunt the ghost, "He allowed your family to die and made you suffer so he could prove a point to this younger Danny. You were nothing more than a tool to him! A pawn in his chess game of reality. Your entire life fell apart all because of him, just so your alternate self could be happy."

Danny could see Dan's anger slowly disolving into what could have resembled heartbreak.

"That's not true.." Dan said, shaking his head, "Clockwork, tell him it's not true..."

The master of time said nothing. He mearly lowered his gaze away from Dan.

"Clockwork..." Dan said, his eyes going wide with shock, "That can't be true... Danny-"

"Your younger self was never the cause of your anguish. It was the man you call your lover that caused your pain." The Observant stated coldly, "He could have saved them and chose not to... For the good of the world."

Dan continued to stare at Clockwork for signs that the Observant's wordes weren't true. Clockwork said nothing and did not raise his eyes. Dan's pleading eyes soon became the icy, familiar glare that Danny was used to.

"I guess now I understand why I've been so confused then..." Dan said in a growl, "Because it wasn't Danny who I was supposed to be angry at."

"Dan, please..." Clockwork choked out, looking up finally, his eyes moistened, "I never meant for things to go as far as they did. But believe me, if I could heal your pain I would."

"And Danny Fenton," The Observant started, drawing the Halfa's attention and everyone else's, "Did you ever bother to investigate your father's motives for going to you? Did you ever look further into his plans?"

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked, seeing Technus visibly tense beside him.

"You were his evil scheme. He was going to use you for your power," The cycloptic tormentor said, "He was going to get on your side so he could exploit everything you had to offer."

Danny glared up at the image of the ghost, "You're lying."

"Am I? Why don't you ask him then? What reason would he have to lie to you?"

Daniel turned back to his father with a questioning stare. Technus seemed to shrink under his gaze.

"Dad?" Danny asked, his voice sad, "Is this true?..."

"I..." Technus sighed, "Yes... It's true..."

Danny felt betrayed and used. He took a step back from the man and stared at him in shock.

"You used me?" Danny asked, "Did you ever care about me? Was _anything _you ever did for me genuine?"

"I always cared about you, Danny." Technus said, "Things were so hard for me to accept in the beginning and at the time I still only saw you as... the welp..." He paused to take a shakey breath, "But after we spent time together I realised how wrong I had been. The night you came to me for help was the night I changed my mind. I gave up the plan then and there, I assure you. I would never use you for my gain now!"

Dannny found himself torn between wanting to believe him and knowing that the first weeks of knowing his biological father had been based on a lie.

"Don't listen to him, kid." Walker said sternly, "The Observant is just trying to play with your head so he can beat you easier. Don't let him get to you."

Danny looked to the warden, eyes full of doubt. He'd gone to work for Walker, for Technus as a step in getting the Master of Technology to trust him... All for a lie... For a plot.

"Danny, I'm so sorry," Technus apologized sincerely.

Danny turned to the Observant with a piercing glare, "You arent going to win like this. I wont let you in that easily."

Danny could practically feel Technus relax beside him.

"You can try twisting our minds all you like but we'll still com eafter you." The halfa said with quite literal ice in his tone. The room was getting noticably colder with how much more angry he became.

"Oh? Is that right?" The Observant asked, a smirk in his voice, "Well, if I giev you the boy there will be no reason to, will there?"

The entire group was stumped by the question. The confusion filled the air around them.

Suddenly the floor ahead of the parted in the shape of a circle. Light came out of it and a figure slowly began to appear out of it. Crusted with blood and scars, blond hair matted and right eye covered by some gruesome contraption, the child that the body belong to was almost unrecognisable.

"Aaron..." Clockwork breathed quietly, his voice full of horror, "Aaron, no..."

"He cannot hear you," The Observant told the time keeper, "And do not bother trying to reason with him. He only obey's us."

Danny stared at the form of the twelve year old boy, his boddy abused by the rutheless experiments, his face cold and void of any feeling or emotion. He was their mindless puppet sent to do their dirty work...

"Aaron," The Observant started, "Kill."


	30. Author Note

_**On this, our thirtieth chapter, I would like to thank each and every one of you for sticking with me through all of this. When I started Test Tube Baby, I never expected it to get the following that it did, both here and on Deviantart. I feel truely blessed by all of you.**_

_**And though this story is drawing to a close very quickly, this is not the end. On my deviant art there is a comic version of Aaron's story that you can read if you feel up to it. It is about Aaron Leons adventures along with the children of the other pairings of the story, featured or not. It is already in chapter two fot he story but I had not posted anything about it here. Forgive me for allowing it to slip my mind. I hope you will at least take a look at it, even if you dont comment. **_

_**Along with that, a story about the only Observant that I've seen any one ever say they've liked. It has just started and it seems to be liked so far. It is a slightly different style of writing than I am used to and more descriptive. There is, of course, plenty more Danny Phantom art in my gallery for your viewing pleasure.**_

_**I hope to hear from you here or there in the future. And do not worry, the story of Technus and his son is not over yet. I have plenty more planned for them.**_

_**The next chapter will be posted soon.**_

_**With love,**_

_**Nut.**_


	31. Final Face Off

**Warning: dragging chapter ahead.**

**My apologies for taking so long. This chapter had to be rewritten because the original sucked that badly. This was a difficult chapter to write so bear with me. **

It was a blow unlike any Danny had ever taken before. The pain and agony was almost more than he could bear and the pain it caused was brutal. It felt like his very heart was torn out and stomped on as he watched, bleeding and dying.

But this blow ws not physical... No. This blow was to his very core.

He was forced to go up against his very own son. A son that hadn't even been born yet. A son that was being forced agaisnt his will to attack his own family. And there was nothing the poor child could do to stop himself. And nothing Danny could do to get him to stop.

Danny did his best, as did everyone else, to stay out of the child's range so they would accidentaly hurt him. Even Dan was worried about harming the boy. But none of them anticipated just what this mere child could throw at them. It seemed that whatever the Observants had done to him did indeed make him more powerful. Aaron was swift, agressive and actually very strong. When he managed to get his hands on Walker, the warden could barely blink before he was roughly slammed into the wall. He got away but barely. It cost him his coat as he slipped from the preteen's grip. Aaron promptly ripped the jacket in half. The boy was a machine.

"What do we do? Keep running from him until he wears himself out?" Dan asked, turning to Danny, "This isn't exactly the rescue we had in mind."

"Something tells me he won't wear out that easily." Danny said with a deep frown.

He scanned his eyes over the child, his mind hard at work to think of a solution to their problem. He could see the obvious tank of ectoplasm on the boy's back that was pumping the fluuid into his body as he attacked them. He figured that that was probably what was giving him energy. There was a chance that if he destroyed the tank, they could take him down. But there was also the chance that the contents were keeping the boy alive and if it was destroyed the boy would die.

Aaron turned to face him suddenly, his violet eyes hollow. They looked more dead than the red Danny had seen on him previously but no less human.

Stuck in his contemplation, he didnt have time to react when Aaron lashed out at him with a ghost ray. The blue light cut through the air and hit Danny hard int he chest, taking the air out of him and knocking him to the floor. He tried to launch another attack but Dan raised a shield around the two of them. The boy pounded against it with blasts and his fists. Luckily, he was only ordered to kill them and not to think logically about doing it.

"That's what you get for just standing there," Dan told Danny, grabbing the halfa by the front of his suit and standing him up, "Mind sharing with the rest of us what you were thinking about?"

Danny looked around him quickly, thinking as fast as he could. His gaze fell on Walker and Technus. The latter was supporting the warden, who has apparenly taken a hit or two while Danny wasn't paying attenion. There was a growing green stain forming on his arm and Technus was doing what he could to mend it.

"Dad!" Danny called getting Nicolai's attention, "Get Walker out of here and go find Clockwork! Figure out where he ran off to!"

"But-" Technus started to protest but quickly quieted, "Alright. Just be careful, Son."

"I will." Danny assured him, turning back to Aaron with a determined glare, "Dan an I will keep him busy till you find him."

"And what do we do when we find him?" Walker asked with a grunt of pain.

"Help him find a way to break the Observan's control over Aaron." Dan cut in, "Now get out of here!"

Technus pulled Walker's unharmed arm over his shoulder and dragged the Warden from the room. Aaron didn't even glance at them as he continued to pound against Dan's shield.

Danny looked to Dan and gave a meaningful nod. Dan dropped his shield in compliance and the preteen in front of them charged. Danny grunted as the boy grabbed him by the waist and sprinted him backwards. The halfa collided roughly with the wall making him cry out in pain. Aaron got three solid, and painful, punches to his ribs in before Dan pulled the blonde away.

Dan picked up the child by the back of his shirt and made quick work of tossing him onto the floor. Danny winced as the boy landed but luckily he was unharmed. Aaron tried to get up and pounce on Dan again but a boot on his chest stopped him and forced him back down roughly.

"I don't want to hurt you, kid!" Dan warned him, "Stay down!"

Surprisingly, Aaron stopped moving. He shook like he was freezing cold but he didn't move. Dan turned to Danny with a confused look. The halfa shrugged and looked at his son curiously.

Why had he stopped?

Aaron suddenly opened his mouth and a high pitched pulse burst out. Dan was blown backward and sent tumbling to the ground several feet away. The boy floated into the air, placing himself on his feet and stood in a ready stance. His fists were clenched and, as much as Danny didn't like the thought at the moment, he looked a lot like Danny when he was younger. They stood the same when they were poised to attack, the way Aaron's har fell in front of his face, the determined stare...

Dan wasn't sharing the nostalgia though. True, he didn't know that the boy was his fture son, but there were still similarities. It was clear that Dan just wanted to end this now.

Danny looked between the two nervously. When his eyes went back to Aaron they widened slightly as he saw some of the green fluid being pumped into his body. Almost instantly the boy's eyes clouded over further and he charged at Dan, fists ablaze with energy.

"Oh, Shit!" Dan cursed as he jumped back fromt he child moments before one of Aaron's fits made contact with him.

"Aaron, no!" Danny shouted as he jumped to grab him.

He gripped the boy b y the arms and attempted to subdue him by force from the back. Aaron thrashed in his grasp. The kind of thrashing that was expected to be followed by an animalistic snarl. But the boy remained utterly silent as he flipped forward to body slam Danny into the ground.

The halfa gagged as the child swug his legs up to lock around his neck before flipping him once again and dashing him against the ground once more. Danny bit back a shout as his skull collided with the stone floor. It didn't crack but he was jarred quite a bit.

Aaron landed four blows in Danny's ribcage before he was viciously pried off b y Dan and thrown across the room. His future self hoisted Danny to his feet once more.

"You're supposed to be the good guy. Why do I have to keep helping you?" Dan asked with a frown.

"Shut up." Danny told him as he focused his eyes on the boy.

Aaron had caught himself in mid air and was floating in the center of the room. His hazy eyes were fixed on them.

"We need to split his focus." Danny said, "He's only one kid. He can't attack both of us."

"How do you know he can't multiply?" Dan asked.

"He's twelve years old and only an eigth ghost." Danny told him, "I think our chances are pretty good. "

Dan nodded once, "FIne. I go left you go right."

Danny didn't even reply as he took off, circling around the boy's right side. Aaron fired blue ghost rays at him, hitting him in the right leg. Biting back his shout of pain, Danny gripped the limb. He looked down and saw that the metal had been ripped open. A small bit of greenectoplasm and oil mixture oozed out but it was nothing Danny couldn't fix later. The halfa dodged a second attack as Dan flew at the boy as well.

Dan shot low energy beams at Aaron to catch his attention. The boy quickly turned and fired at the older ghost. Danny used this chance to scan over the boy once more. If he could use his father's technology powers maybe he could get this machine off of the boy. But what were the risks?

He eyed the tubes pumping ectoplasm into the body. Maybe if he could cut off the energy supply... Or shut down the nanobots controling his body...

"DANNY!"

Daniel snapped from his thoughs as Dan roared at him. The ghost was dipping and diving out of the way of more blue blasts. Danny watched carefully as the sparkling blue energy gathered around aaron's fists and seemed to exlode out of him as he shot foreward. It was the same energy that he had fired at Danny in Pariahs keep and when he was trying to disarm the Specter speeder. It didn't seem very dangerous then. Was the tissue from vortex really that dangerous.

"A little help here?" Dan shouted as he rose into the air in a messy twirl. Aaron lifted himself up further and persued him.

danny made up his mind about his next course of action as he called out,"Cover me, I'm going in!"

Danny flew at the boy, his body turning intangible as he flew through the preteens skin. Almost immediately he felt at one with the child's body and could feel everything that the boy was feeling. Including a loss of control. Danny could feel Aaron straining against the machines forcing him to attack. Even with the Halfa inside his body he was still viociously lashing out at Dan.

danny reached out with his midn to try and make contact with the boy he was inside.

"Aaron? Can you hear me?"

"Get... out!" Aaron's mind told him, "Get out before... they hurt you!"

"It's okay, Aaron. I won't get hurt," Danny told him, "Let me help you..."

"You can't..." Aaron said, his very mind sounding defeated and tired, "The machines they put inside me... If they go off they'll kill me..."

Danny felt rage well up inside him but he pushed it away so he could focus.

"Aaron, listen to me."Danny ordered, "I've taken down a machine before. I can get you out of this alive."

The eighteen year old tensed as the boy was shaken fiercly bby one of Dan's defencicve attacks. He poured his energy into not seperating from the boy.

The voice of the Observant returned suddenly, "Oh no you don't, Phantom! Aaron, force him out!"

Danny inwardly sneered at the voice, "Don't do it Aaron. They control your body. They don't control your mind..."

"I c-can't..." Aaron wept, "I can't stop them! They're too strong! You saw what they did to your dad!"

Danny paused for a moment, "You know?"

"I know everything, Mr. Fenton..." aaron admitted, "I know who you and Mrs fenton are. I know who Technus is and I know why my Papa doesn't want to tell dad untill after this is all done..."

"Dad..." Danny said to himself, "Dan's your Dad..."

"He's better than you give him credit for..." Aaron assured him weakly. Danny could amost sense that the boy wanted to smile at him.

Danny felt a pulse just then. He fixed his mind on it and traced it back to the source. He followed the tubes and wires back to the device implanted in aaron's chest. he wires and bolts were attached to his ribs and feeding into his very being.

"I-It hurts!"Aaron cried as he was forced to shoot at Dan once more, "It feels like I'm burning!"

Danny scowled at the evil contraption, "That's because you are..."

The Observants were putting so much strain on Aaron to keep fighting that the machines controling him were heating up. The whitehot metal was burning his bone and flesh. Danny made a promise to himself to personly rip the arms off of who ever put these machines in his son.

"Aaron, I need you to relax your mind. The more you fight the more strain your body endures." Danny directed gently, "I can deal with this... But I'm going to have to leave you alone for a little while..."

"Danny, wait!" Aaron called out to him just as the halfa was ready to go into the machine.

"What is it?" Danny asked, on edge.

"Th-There's something you need to know..." Aaron said slowly his body not moving nearly as slow as his voice, "There's an Observant named Ewen. He told me where to find the device that will remove the robots from my body..."

Danny fell silent for a moment to let the news sink in. He heard foreign shouts of surprise and pain but ignored them.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Danny asked, relieved that there was some good news, "And why would an Observant tell you where to find it?"

"He wants to help me... He told me, that if there was a time when you would break their control over me, that I shoudl tell you where to find it..." Aaron explained, "I don't know why... But he did..."

Danny sighed in partial relief, "alright... Tell me where it is now... Just incase you pass out."

Aaron took shakey breaths, "Okay..."

**=DP=**

"Wait! Wait!" Aiden shouted as he crawled back, away from the master of time.

Clockwork, who had just broken down the door, approached him with murderous red eyes. It didn't help his mood that there was a screen in the room displaying what was happening in the next floor down with Aaron and the Dannys.

"Haven't you heard the saying?" he asked in a grave tone as he lifted his scythe, "Time waits for no one..."

Clockwork was ready to end this here and now. He didn't care how much ectoplasm he spilled. after what they put his child through, they deserved everything that came to them.

Technus hurried through the door, having followed the carnage to this spot. He gasped at the sight and quickly deposited Walker on the floor.

"Clockwork, don't!" He shouted making a dash for the time keeper.

But some one else beat him there.

another Observant grasped the handle of the scythe and prevented the time keeper from swinging. Clockwork looked as if he were ready to explode from his rage at this ghost's audacity.

"You don't want to do that, Clockwork." The Observant told him steadily.

"How the hell do you know what I want?" Clockwork snapped, "Do you haev any idea what you put that child through? The suffering he will be forced to endure from this point on? And who are _you _to tell me to stop?"

"My name is Ewen, and I know..." The Observant admitted, "But he will never recover fully if he knows what you are trying to do..."

Clockwork knew he was right and lowered his scythe. His glare never softened though. He remained in a ready state to massacre any one who angered him next.

A voice suddenly called out from the walls and ceilings. It seemed to come from everywhere.

"You dare interfere with my chaos?"

Technus turned his head every direction he could to find the voice, "Who's there?"

Smoke suddenly began to pour out of Aiden's robes and those of the other Observants that were rendered uncontious by the Time Master. It gathered together and a formless figure appeared. It was a creature made of smoke and what looked like oil. It smoked slowly, causing plumes of gas to billow through the room, making Technus choke on it. Aiden fell limp on the floor as the energy left his body.

His face was completely black except for his narrow eyes and fanged mouth. Those features stood out in a shocking blood red. it seemed that this spirit was controling them. For how long was a mystery but he seemed to bee a great part of what was happening here.

"Who the hell are you?" Walker asked as he rose to his feet.

"He calls himself the Anarchitect. He has a nasty habbit of stirring up trouble." Clockwork stated, "I was wondering where you dissapered to."

"The who?" Technus asked, pulling up his shirt to cover his mouth and nose, "I've never heard of him."

"Of course you have." The Anarchitect stated shallowly, "Where ever there is Anarchy I get a front row seat. Even if it is not my own handy work, I can always appreiciate good quality chaos."

"So you were the one behind the councel's desision!" Ewen spoke up, "I knew somehing wasn't right!"

The ghost in question grinned evilly, "Yesss... I caused them to act irrationally... I had no control over what they would do, but it was quite facinating to see how far they would go..."

"So, this is your fault then!" Clockwork said, lifting his scythe a bit, "You took over the Observants to disrupt the order of the Ghost Zone."

"It's what I do." The Anarchitect stated smugly, "But if I were you... I would worry less about me... and more about your boy..."

The villian dissipated as Clockwork swung the scythe at him.

"I don't understand..." Ewen said slowly, "How was I unneffected if he was overshadowing the councel? And how was he able to do that?"

"For an Observant, You ask a lot of questions..." Walker pointed out with an aggitated tone.

"The Anarchitect can influence the minds of ghosts and humans alike.. But he can only reach so far..." Clockwork said, taking long breaths in an attempt to calm down, "You must have been outside his range. Unfortunately when the others wake up they will think that they were doing this willingly..."

The Observant looked thoughtful for a moment, "I see... He is right though. You need to go to your son."

"_Your _son?" Tecnus asked with raised brows, "Who down there is _your _son?"

"I will explain later." Clockwork brushed it off, "Let's go."

What about Hew here?" Walker asked thumbing toward the only awake Observant in the wing of the building.

"It's Ewen, actually," He pointed out.

The master of time looked back at the cycloptic ghost for a moment and considered his options.

"Leave him. Some one will have to explain this..." Clockwork ordered as he floated from the room, his usual calm demeanor restored.

The world seemed to sigh as they left the Observatory. Danny had found the device to remove the machines controling Aaron after safely shutting the boy down. Now the teen was safe and asleep in Technus' home on a lab table. The surgery was difficult and pain staking but it was a success. All the forgein Technology was removed and his time medalion restored to it's place around the boy's neck.

while Aaron slept the adults gathered down stairs to discuss what had occured. Technus had changed back to his regular ghost form in an uncomfortable and almsit painful way but he was fine now. everything was more or less back to normal. The Observants were douche bags on their own, and Clockwork wasn't an axe-murdering psycopath.

"I don't get it..." Maddie started, "I thought ghosts could only overshadow _people_. Not other ghosts."

"The Anarchitect is a special case... You see, he doesn't overshadow beings... He influences their anger and brings out the worst in them." Clockwork explained, "Unfortunately I too am vulnerable to it.."

"So that's why you were so out of character in there..." Dan stated with a small smirk, "If it makes you feel better, I thought you were hot."

Clockwork gave him a look telling him to shut up before taing a drink of the coffee in his hands. Danny fidgeted in his seat beside Sam. He kept taking glances at his older self trying to see what Sam had meant. Sure, Dan helped them free Aaron, but that wasn't enough to prove that he had really changed...

That didn't prove he was the right person to take their child.

a knock at the door made everyone turn to attention. Technus rose from his arm chair adn went to answer it. Behind the door were the Box Ghost and his daughter in his arm.

"What are you doing here?" Technnus asked, clearly confused.

"Uh... Hi..." Box Ghost started slowly, as if this was rehearsed on the way, "The creepy girl called me and told me what happened. She suggested I bring Boxie over to cheer up Danny..."

"Boxie?" Dan asked raising a brow, "You can't mean-"

"Box Lunch!" Danny hopped up from the couch and floated over, "How she looks even cuter today!"

Danny didn't know when he had taken such a liking to kids. The transition seemed to happen over night. But now the prospect of children in the future wasn't seeming so bad.

Danny held out his hands to the little girl and she smiled and reached back for him. The halfa scooped up the baby and cradled her against him safely. He bounced her Gently with a smile. Sam walked up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked to her and she gave a meaningful smile and nod to dan on the other side of the room.

Danny stared at her for a moment then finally understood. He strode scross the floor smoothly and stopped in front of a ghost he had always believed to be evil. He extended his full hands and placed the infant in Dan's unwilling ones.

Dan fidgeted uncomfortably at the contact with the child he had once tormented. At first he just held the child in front of him at arm's length. Danny knew it would be awkward but that was part of the reason he wanted him to hold her. Danny needed to know that Dan could overcome his past.

Sure enough, after a few moments of displeased groans and expressions, Dan finally manged a comfortable smile and cradled the child like she was supposed to be held. He bounced her gently and chuckled as she babbled up at him.

"Hey, this isn't so bad..." Dan admitted, "She's atually... kind of.. cute..."

The last word came out as if it physically hurt him.

"I'm proud of you, Dan," Clockwork told him gently as he put a gloved hand on his lover's knee.

Dan passed Box Lunch off to Clockwork carefull and scooted closer to his boyfriend to see how Clockwork held the baby. The Box Ghsot remained silent but smiled all the while. Technus took this moment to go upstairs and check on Aaron.

Danny smiled at the ghost and turned to Sam. They exchnaged very meaningful smiles before Danny looked back, "So are we, Dan."

Danny's older self looked up at him curiously, "Huh?"

"There is one condition that I have, though," Danny stated seriously, "You two haveto be married before you touch my son."

Clockwork beamed brightly and turned his head to face dan. The latter was confused at first, then shocked, then genuinly happy. He hugged Clockwork, carefully in celebration. Box Lunch complained about being moved around and the hug was quickly released.

Walker, who was sitting in a chair pulled from the kitchen, shook his head, "Danny boy, you have one weird ass family."

The boy in question turned and grinned, "Well, duh."

Technus came back down the stairs with a smile, "He's doing great. He opened his eyes for a second to ask for food." The master of Technology paused, "You know what I don't get though.."

"What's that?" Tucker asked, walking out of the kitchen eating an entire bag of chips.

Technus took them away before continuing, "Why Aaron wasn't sent back to his own time when they took off his time medallion. Shouldn't he have been sent back to the future if he's who you say he is?"

"Observant Technology is very advanced." Clockwork stated cooly, "It has the ability to anchor someone in a time perioud just as my time medallions do. Only their technology doesn't allow for immunity from my powers."

"That's freaky, dude," Tucker said flatly, "You got any meat in the fridge? I can't tell with ghost food."

Nicolai groaned, "I'll make you a sandwich..."

Danny smiled as he watched his father and best friend leave the room. He turned to hsi fiance and took her hand in his securely.

"I won't let anything like this happen to you again, I promise." He told her seriously.

"I know you won't." Sam replied with a smile, "That doesn't mean it won't happen though."

"Well if it does, you know I'l be there to bring you home." Danny promised, lifting her hand to kiss her fingers lightly.

Maddie hopped up suddenly, "I almost forgot to call Jack! He must be worried sick!"

"Why don't you head home, mom?" Danny suggested, "I know you want to. You can take Tucker and Sam with you."

"Hey!" Sam whined, "Why do I have to go?"

"Becuase you have a lot to explain to your parents and I know they won't listen if I'm there," Danny told her, pecking her on the cheek lightly, "I'll see you later."

The goth girl sighed and left with maddie, her bags of stuff Clockwork had bought her in hand. Tucker hurried out beind them, mouth ful of part of a sandwich. Walker got up soon after saying he had spent more than enough time with Danny's crew of degenerates and needed to get back to work. You would think after all of this he would take a vacation. Box Ghost took that opportunity to take back his daughter and go home as well. He didn't have an excuse.

Technus walked back into the room with Danny, Clockwork and Dan and slapped his son on the shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, son." He said genuinly, "Both of you."

Dan gave a light, but hesitant, smile at his biological father.

"I'm proud of you too, Dad," Danny said with a grin, "You risked a lot for me."

"Well, like walker said. We're a weird ass family." Technus restated, "What else could I have done?"

CLockwork let out a disruptive yawn and rose from the couch, "I think I'm going to take aaron home, put him back in his own time, and call it a day. The Observants can kiss my shiney blue tail. I am not working tomarrow..."

"Sounds good to me!" Dan stated happily as he moved toward the door.

Danny smiled as he watched the couple go. Aaron was snuggled into a warm blanket, bandages over his right eye and placed across his body. It would certainly take a while for him to recover. But thankfully, he wasn't being used for evil anymore.

But that still leftt he question of who that "Anarchitect" ghost was and why he picked the Observants to mess with? Was it all in good fun to him? If so that fun almost cost Danny's son's life.

"To think this all started with just you and me..." Technus stated in an almost amused tone, "And it's ending the same way."

"I don't think so, dad," Danny assured him, "This is no where near the end."

**FIN**

**Thaank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed this story and want to read more. On my deviant art account I have a comic series started called "Come What May" that is based on Aaron Leon's life and the adventures he goes on with his friends Box Lunch, Alex, the son of Jazz and the Ghost Writer, and Lee, clone daughter of Vortex and Nocturne. It's a kid friendly adventure with plenty of one liners and quipps to go around. can be found under the username Transformer-wannabe**

**This will not be the last story about Technus and his son. I do have one more planned. So keep me in your alerts if you want to read it when it's ready. This story has been putting my other ones on hold and took far longer than I expected to finish. **

**The Anarchitect is mine. I made him up. He's supposed to be an over the top villian but he's not an all powerful one. He's actually kind of a wimp. You can see him on my deviantart too. **


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